RIVER VALLEY—Three local residents lost their lives in three separate crashes last week in the Upper Delaware River Valley.

Head-on collision

The first was a head-one collision that happened at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 13, on Route 6 (Roosevelt Highway), north of Creek Drive in Prompton Township.

The westbound driver, Emily Hilker, 28, of Simpson, PA, veered her 2019 Ford Escape into the oncoming eastbound lane while negotiating a right-hand curve, colliding with a 2003 Mitsubishi Galant driven by Jason Kline, 23, of Dickson City, PA. Kline suffered serious injury, according to the Pennsylvania State Police at Gibson.

Hilker’s passenger Alice Varga, 86, of Tyler Hill, PA, sustained fatal injuries.

Hilker, who was wearing a seat and lap belt, sustained a minor injury. Another passenger, a 17-year-old boy of Simpson, also suffered minor injuries. 

The drivers and passengers were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The investigation is ongoing.

Pedestrian struck

On the same day, a pedestrian was fatally struck by a pickup truck in Callicoon, NY, on December 13.

Eva Jacobs, 24, of Obernburg, NY, was struck by a  2012 Chevrolet operated by James Kavarnos, 68, of Callicoon Center, NY, at about 4 p.m., according to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.

Officers were called to the scene on the North Branch Callicoon Center Road. The driver stopped after the collision and rendered first aid. 

Witnesses told police that the victim had apparently darted out into the roadway. 

Firefighters from the North Branch and Callicoon Center departments and the Jeffersonville EMS responded to the call. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by Sullivan County coroner Elton Harris. 

The driver passed a field sobriety test and was not issued any tickets. 

Deputy sheriffs were assisted at the scene by the New York State Police. The investigation is continuing.

Driver ejected and struck

The third fatal crash occurred at 9:55 p.m. on Friday, December 15, on I-84 in Sterling Township, and involved several accidents, according to the Pennsylvania State Police at Honesdale. Mackenzie Lawlor, 21, of Dingmans Ferry, PA, died when she was struck by Robin Sheehy, 42, of Lake Ariel, PA, driving a 2023 Kia. 

The crash occurred as Lawlor was traveling west in the left lane of I-84, near the area of mile marker 15.6. She was unable to maintain control of her vehicle, the 2008 Honda Civic, while attempting to negotiate a rightward uphill curve in the roadway and struck a guiderail along the left berm.

After the initial impact, Lawlor lay in the right lane of the interstate’s westbound lane. She had been ejected from her vehicle during an unrelated crash that occurred just moments before in the same area. 

Sheehy was traveling west in the left lane when she came upon the crash scene, where witnesses had already stopped to render aid. Sheehy applied her brakes and merged into the right lane, striking Lawlor. 

Sheehy brought her vehicle to a controlled final rest along the right shoulder of I-84, approximately 224 feet west from the point of impact. Her car sustained disabling damage and had to be towed from the scene. She was not wearing her seatbelt at the time but was not injured.

Lawlor was pronounced dead at the scene by Wayne County coroner Edward Howell. The westbound lands of I-84 were closed for about three hours.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected from the original to fix a typo.