Police: Too early to determine fault in Ligonier crash that killed trooper

5 p.m. UPDATE: 

Channel 11 is learning more about the company whose garbage truck collided with a state trooper Friday morning.

“It's a sad tragedy, it really is,” said Ligonier resident Kelly McCoy. “For such a small town to lose somebody, whether they're from Ligonier or not, it's tragic.”

“So young, he was so young,” added Shirley Fetzer, also of Ligonier. “You think of the family.”

Stewart's police cruiser collided with a McInchok Sanitation’s garbage truck pulling out of the Forks Inn restaurant.

11 investigates dug into McInchok Sanitation's inspection reports, which showed zero crashes of any kind over the last two years.

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Channel 11 spoke briefly with co-owner Debbie McInchok Friday afternoon, who said, “Our hearts go out to the family of trooper Michael Stewart. We're letting the state police do their job.”

State police say it's too early to know who's at fault.

Several neighbors shared their complaints about the intersection between State Routes 711 and 271, which is just a few feet away from where the crash happened.

“It's very confusing now,” said Eileen Hunter, who lives nearby. “Everyone was used to it the way it was before, and now it's confusing.”

While concerns have been raised, the Ligonier Township solicitor believes the crash is unrelated to any recent changes to the road.

State police say it could take several weeks to wrap up their investigation.

PennDOT says they're not commenting on the incident until that accident report is complete.

11:30 A.M. UPDATE:

Trooper Michael P. Stewart, who was killed in a crash Friday morning, was going to celebrate his 27th birthday next week, state police said.

Stewart's southbound SUV slammed into the side of a garbage truck making a left turn out of a parking lot onto northbound Route 711, police spokesman Steve Limani said at an 11 a.m. press conference.

The Westmoreland County Coroner ruled Stewart dead at the scene of blunt force trauma to the head. Limani said it was too early to determine fault in the crash.

The driver of the truck, John Hissem, 26, was unhurt. The truck is owned by McInchok Sanitation of Ligonier.

Stewart's partner was taken to a hospital, but is expected to be OK, Limani said. Both men were wearing their seat belts.

The investigation could take weeks, Limani said.

10:25 A.M. UPDATE:

Route 711 has reopened after being closed for nearly 10 hours following the crash that killed a Pennsylvania state trooper.

Authorities have scheduled an 11 a.m. news conference to discuss the crash. Channel 11 News will break into programming to

9:10 A.M. UPDATE:

Pennsylvania State Police

as Michael P. Stewart, 26.

The crash happened at about 2:30 a.m., but authorities haven't said how it occurred, saying only that it was under investigation.

“My thoughts, and the thoughts of the entire department, are with the family of Trooper Stewart during this difficult time,” said Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Tyree C. Blocker.

Gov. Tom Wolf also offered condolences.

"We join all Pennsylvanians in mourning his loss and send our sincerest sympathies, thoughts and prayers to his family, friends and all the women and men of the Pennsylvania State Police,” he said.

The second trooper in the crash suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said, and was taken to the hospital. That trooper has not yet been identified.

8:45 P.M. UPDATE:

Authorities have scheduled an 11 a.m. news conference to discuss the crash that killed a state trooper and injured another in Ligonier on Friday morning.

Channel 11 will live stream the news conference

and our

A state trooper is dead in a crash involving a state police vehicle in Ligonier in eastern Westmoreland County.

The crash is on Route 711 near the intersection with Route 271. The crash has closed Route 711.

The police SUV appears to have collided with a garbage truck.

A second trooper was injured in the crash as well.

Watch Channel 11 and WPXI.com for more on the crash and the trooper who died.

Cox Media Group