In a tragic Labor Day weekend accident, six people were killed on the afternoon of Saturday, 31 August, when an SUV crossed the center line and struck a sedan just outside of Kane, Pennsylvania–about 95 miles east of Erie.

Four adults in the sedan were killed and two children in the SUV, ages 6 and 12, also sadly passed; while two more, a woman and her son (also in the SUV) were injured and are still being hospitalized.

All four people in the sedan resided in St. Mary's, PA, about 25 miles southeast of Kane. While state police continue to investigate the cause of the crash, residents of both Kane and St. Mary's remain in mourning. Those interviewed expressed deep regret and sincere grief as the news came in Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Over three hundred people came together for a candlelight vigil early Sunday evening at the Kane Area Middle School football field. As the two children killed in the accident were a part of the local youth football organization in Kane, many of the kids in the crowd donned their cheerleading outfits and game-day jerseys.

Bordering Allegheny National Forest, where the accident occurred, small towns like Kane always have their fair share of visitors over holiday weekends. Northwest Pennsylvania is covered with luscious greenery and plenty of places to take your family for a holiday getaway or a nice autumn stroll. However, as the leaves fall and the days shorten, we must always remember to pay close attention to our surroundings when driving on even the most rural roads. Keep your radios at a reasonable volume, do not drive distracted, and never get into a vehicle if you have been drinking or are too tired to drive.

Our thoughts go out to the victims, their families, and the residents of Kane and St. Mary's.

Source: New Castle News, "Two children, four others die in head-on crash." 4 September 2013