COUDERSPORT — A Coudersport man died Monday evening in a head-on collision on U.S. Route 6 in Eulalia Township.
Stephen Dilick, 54, of Coudersport, died of his injuries shortly after an accident reconstruction was completed in the crash, Coudersport-based state police reported in a press release.
According to police, at 6:10 p.m. Monday, a 2003 dark blue Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Dilick was traveling east on Route 6, while a 1989 gray Cadillac Deville driven by Michael Kellar, 52, of Smethport, was traveling west.
Dilick’s car traveled into the westbound lane on a right-hand curve, striking Kellar’s Jeep head-on, police stated.
The Coudersport Volunteer Fire Department had to extricate both men from the vehicles, and “Coudersport EMS conducted life-saving measures while transporting both operators to Cole Memorial Hospital for additional treatment,” police stated in the release.
Police reported that Kellar was in fair condition as of Tuesday afternoon and was still receiving medical treatment.
State police, with the help of the Coudersport Volunteer Fire Department, were “able to safely conduct a thorough investigation on scene for several hours,” police reported. The Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Unit and the PSP Collision Analyst Reconstructions Unit (CARS) assisted Coudersport-based state police on scene.
The fire department related its own part in the accident assistance through social media.
According to the Coudersport Volunteer Fire Department Facebook page, both lanes of the section of road — which they referred to as “Cemetery Curve” — were shut down while the crew extricated the drivers. Extrication was completed by 6:25 p.m.
Firefighters also “contained fluids and controlled others hazards,” the page stated. A Port Allegany medic that was dispatched was canceled before the medic arrived.
Once it was safe to do so, the eastbound lane was opened up, while the westbound lane remained closed until state police investigators processed the scene and all hazards were removed, firefighters reported. They were back in service by 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
