GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A New York woman is dead and a New York man is injured after an accident involving pedestrians on Interstate 81 southbound on Saturday evening.
It happened around 8:35 p.m. at mile marker 204.8. According to Pennsylvania State Police Dunmore, Michelle C. Garcia, 23, and Justice G. Danenberg, 24, both of Ithaca, New York were struck by a vehicle operated by Juliana I. Barnhart after an accident on the interstate.
According to PSP, Garcia and Danenberg’s vehicle had been involved in an earlier crash and was disabled on the shoulder of the highway. A witness to the initial crash was stopped on the opposite shoulder of the highway and their flashers were on.
Police say as Barnhart approached the accident scene, she started moving into the left-hand lane as required by law and struck both Garcia and Danenberg, who police say were in the middle of the highway.
Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene and Danenberg was transported to the hospital for treatment.