2 Westmoreland County sisters killed in crash
The radiance of fall foliage in Bedford County is such that a festival in honor of it has been held annually since 1964.
That attraction prompted sisters Cecile J. Mitchell, 62, of Derry Township, and Nancy L. Grubbs Murcek, 73, of North Huntingdon Township, to drive there Wednesday.
"They were just up there to enjoy the leaves. They were close sisters; they just liked chumming around," said Nancy's sister-in-law, Katherine Murcek. "They started heading back around 3 p.m."
Within the hour, Mitchell and Murcek were killed when a tractor-trailer crashed into the Chrysler Cirrus that Mitchell was driving westbound on Route 31 in Juniata Township, state police said.
The wreck happened at 3:48 p.m. when an eastbound Freightliner tractor-trailer driven by Travis Manges, 29, of New Enterprise, crossed into the westbound lane while rounding a curve, said Trooper Douglas B. Evans. The right front of the truck struck the front of Mitchell's sedan as it rounded the bend, Evans said.
The truck then ran over the sedan while dragging it onto the berm and into a field where the rig stopped and the sedan rolled over, Evans said. Both vehicles caught fire and were destroyed.
Bedford County Coroner Sam Gordon pronounced Mitchell and Murcek dead at the scene.
Evans said Manges was transported via MedStar helicopter to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, Johnstown. He was discharged Thursday, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Katherine Murcek said such accidents have become all too common.
"It just makes you wonder why people do this. It seems like every evening on the news, they're crossing the center line and running into cars ... something has to be done about it," Murcek said. "Nancy was very much a loved member of this family. This is just a terrible thing that happened."
Trooper Evans was not available for comment yesterday regarding a post-accident investigation.
Lou Long, Mitchell's fiance, said he plans to inquire about the police investigation soon.
"We're going to be looking into it. Her two sons are here with me," said Long, adding that one of the first day trips he and Mitchell ever took together was to the Jean Bonnet Tavern at the intersection of Routes 30 and 31 in Bedford.
"She always enjoyed crafts. Cecile was a companion to me, and she loved her children and grandchildren," Long said.
With only a high school diploma, Long said, Mitchell wound up working as an executive assistant to the chief operating officers of Kennametal Inc.
"She had drive, and her position was one where if the boss said he wanted something done, you figured out a way to get it done," said Long, adding that Mitchell worked in Kennametal's Atlanta and Cincinnati offices before relocating to the Latrobe office.
Mitchell had also been active as a volunteer coordinator on a national level for the Arthritis Foundation, and was an ardent member of Latrobe United Methodist Church.
Nancy Murcek leaves behind four sons and 10 grandchildren who will miss her generosity, selflessness and love, said her second-eldest son, Jon Murcek.
"The best word for my mother was selfless ... everything was about everybody else. She pretty much lived for her grandchildren, she loved to love and spoil them," said Jon Murcek of his mother, who worked for 35 years as a pediatric nurse at McKeesport Hospital.
"She was also a nurse to the whole neighborhood and our extended family."
