On a chilly Friday evening in Donegal Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, an otherwise normal drive turned into a tragic crash that left two people dead and a third seriously injured. The incident occurred just after 5 p.m. on November 7, 2025, on Interstate 70 near Exit 6, the Claysville area.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police, a red Hyundai sedan was traveling eastbound when it somehow crossed the grassy median and entered the westbound lanes — colliding directly with a Ford SUV. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have identified the victims: 59-year-old Donna Havens of Wheeling, West Virginia, was driving the Hyundai. The driver of the SUV was 69-year-old William L. Magers of Glen Dale, West Virginia.
In the SUV with Magers was a woman and a juvenile passenger. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, while the juvenile remarkably walked away without any physical harm.
Prior to the crash, troopers had received multiple reports of an east-bound vehicle on I-70 behaving erratically. Investigators are exploring whether that vehicle was indeed the one that crossed the median.
The block of road where the crash occurred has long been noted for higher severity accidents. With its open grassy medians rather than concrete barriers, the stretch allows for dangerous cross-overs when a vehicle loses control, especially in low light or slick conditions. Troopers are looking into possible contributing factors: speed, visibility, road conditions, and the driver’s state.
Meanwhile, the interstate was closed for hours as emergency crews and reconstruction teams worked at the scene; traffic was backed up into West Virginia before the lanes reopened later that night. As the families of Havens and Magers cope with sudden, unimaginable loss, their communities of Wheeling and Glen Dale mourn two people gone far too soon.
The state police continue their investigation into the crash, asking anyone who may have seen the erratic vehicle or captured dash-cam footage to come forward. In the meantime, the incident serves as a stark reminder of how quickly a routine drive can turn devastating.
