One dead, two injured in Kelly Township Route 15 crash

Richard W. Marion of Watsontown died after a violent two-vehicle crash at the busy Route 15 and Loan Road intersection in Kelly Township, where a northbound Chevrolet Colorado ran a red light and hit a stopped Honda CR-V.

Pennsylvania State Police at Milton said the crash happened around 4 p.m. on April 4, when the pickup failed to slow for the signal and struck the rear of the Honda. Marion, 70, was taken to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, where the Montour County coroner later ruled he died of multiple blunt force injuries.

Valerie Marion, 69, was also in the Honda and suffered suspected minor injuries. She was transported to WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital. The 16-year-old driver of the Chevrolet, a Winfield teen, had suspected minor injuries and declined transport.

Troopers said both people in the Honda were wearing seat belts, while the teen driver was not. That detail underscores how a split-second mistake at a signalized intersection can turn deadly, and how restraints can matter when a high-speed impact sends vehicles skidding off their lanes.

Investigators identified the vehicles as a 2025 Honda CR-V and a 2010 Chevrolet Colorado. The Honda came to rest partially on the berm and in the northbound lane, while the Chevrolet stopped off the roadway after the collision, a path that points to the force of the crash and the disruption it created for motorists and responders on one of Union County’s busiest corridors.

State police said the teen’s speed may have been a factor, and any charges remained pending as the investigation continued. The teenager’s name was not released beyond his hometown. The case now sits at the intersection of traffic enforcement, juvenile accountability and public safety on a highway that carries local commuters as well as regional through traffic.

The crash is likely to renew concern about Route 15 safety in Kelly Township, where the Loan Road intersection has long drawn scrutiny from area observers. PennDOT also maintains public crash data tools that allow residents to review fatalities, injuries and crash patterns by county and municipality, offering a way to compare this wreck with others on the same stretch of road. A PennDOT notice on April 19 also showed Route 15 southbound near Loan Road still under active traffic concern, a reminder that the corridor remains prone to serious disruption when crashes occur.

For Watsontown, Lewisburg and the wider Union County area, the loss of Richard Marion turns another Route 15 wreck into more than a statistic. It adds fresh pressure on a roadway where speed, signal compliance and driver attention can decide whether a trip ends safely or in tragedy.