A man who was killed in a multi-vehicle crash during whiteout weather conditions in Pennsylvania on Thursday morning was identified as a 22-year-old National Guardsman who was heading back to college.
Austin Golab, 22, was the only victim in the harrowing three-vehicle crash.
The Pennsylvania State Police reported that a semi-trailer was stopped in the right lane on Interstate 79 south in Mercer County when another big rig rammed into it from behind.
The second semi came to a stop in the left lane — before it was rear-ended by Golab’s car.
The two semis sustained moderate damage, while the third vehicle sustained major damage to the front end and driver’s side. Golab was pronounced dead at the scene and later identified as the victim of the crash in his obituary.
The Mercer County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Golab’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and chest from injuries he suffered in the crash, YourErie reported. His death was deemed accidental.
The driver of the second semi-trailer was taken to a local hospital and treated for unknown injuries, police added.
Golab was driving back to Slippery Rock University after spending some time at his family home in Erie, Pennsylvania. Before his winter break at home, he was deployed to the Kenya 1st Platoon Weapons Squad, where he served as a weapons team lead for the Blacksheep Company, according to his obituary.
“Austin loved the National Guard and his platoon,” his family wrote.
Golab completed one semester at Gannon University before his deployment to Kenya. After returning to the US, he enrolled in Slippery Rock University, where he was studying cybersecurity.
“Anyone that knew Austin would say he was one of the nicest people, easy-going, easy to coach, and a good friend to all. Austin will be greatly missed by all who knew him,” his family wrote.
The National Weather Service reminds drivers to “take it slow when driving in snow. 70% of injuries related to ice and snow occur in automobiles.”
Two winter storms tore through the East over the weekend, and the same states are preparing for an arctic blast expected to arrive this week.
