Watsontown Man Killed After Teen Driver Runs Red Light on Route 15

Richard W. Marion, 70, of Watsontown was killed Saturday afternoon when a 16-year-old from Winfield ran a red light on Route 15 and drove his pickup truck into the rear of Marion's SUV at the intersection with Loan Road in Kelly Township, Pennsylvania State Police said.

The collision occurred at approximately 4 p.m. on April 4. Marion had already slowed his 2025 Honda CR-V to a stop at the red light when the teen, driving a Chevrolet Colorado northbound on Route 15, failed to slow and struck him from behind. The impact pushed Marion's SUV off the roadway, coming to rest partially on the berm and in the northbound lane.

Marion was transported to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, approximately 18 miles from the crash site, where the Montour County coroner pronounced him dead. His passenger, Valerie Marion, 69, also of Watsontown, sustained minor injuries and was taken to WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital. The teen driver sustained minor injuries and declined transport.

Investigators found the 16-year-old was not wearing a seatbelt, a violation of Pennsylvania's Graduated Driver Licensing law, which mandates seatbelt use by all occupants when the driver is under 18. Both Richard and Valerie Marion were belted. Speed is being investigated as a possible contributing factor. The teen's name has not been released.

Whether charges will be filed remains pending the investigation, which is being led by Trooper Joshua Myers of the Pennsylvania State Police. Emergency crews from multiple agencies responded to the scene. Route 15 southbound was closed near the Loan Road intersection, with a detour routed through Hospital Drive, JPM Road, and William Penn Drive.

The Route 15 and Loan Road intersection has been the site of at least one prior serious multi-vehicle crash, though a comprehensive incident history was not immediately available from PennDOT or state police. No engineering changes or enforcement measures specific to the intersection have been publicly announced in the wake of Saturday's fatality.

Per PennDOT, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 16-to-24-year-olds in Pennsylvania. The state's GDL law, in effect since 1999 and updated in 2011, was designed specifically to reduce those numbers, yet Saturday's crash turned on the precise behavior it was written to prevent.