A quiet Wednesday morning in Greene Township, Franklin County, turned into a day of sorrow when three people died after their vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head‑on with a tractor‑trailer on U.S. Route 11 (Molly Pitcher Highway). The wreck occurred around 6:30 a.m. in the 6500‑block of the highway, and quickly shook the local community.
According to preliminary reports from the Pennsylvania State Police, the car involved — a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr — was heading south when it veered across the center turning lane and entered the northbound lane. It collided nearly head‑on with a tractor‑trailer, leaving all three occupants of the Lincoln dead at the scene.
The victims have been identified: 47‑year‑old Saintanie Jean Baptiste of Chambersburg was driving the Lincoln. Also killed were 42‑year‑old Jodelens Joseph, also of Chambersburg, and 30‑year‑old Claire Elveus of Lauderhill, Florida.
The driver of the tractor‑trailer, identified as a 36‑year‑old man from Baltimore, was evaluated for a possible injury but did not require hospital transport and is expected to recover.
As word spread of the crash, the stretch of Route 11 was closed between Wagner Road and Pinola Road to allow the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and law‑enforcement responders time to investigate and clear the wreck. By afternoon the highway had reopened.
While investigators continue to probe the exact reason the Lincoln veered into oncoming traffic, the scene has left many in the community reeling. Friends and relatives of the deceased have begun to gather, sharing memories, questions and grief after a sudden and tragic loss.
Local authorities are reminding motorists to remain alert, especially during early‑morning travel, and to stay cautious when passing through this busy thoroughfare that carries both local and commercial traffic. The road is now open, but the ripple effects of the accident are still being felt in Greene Township and the wider Chambersburg area.
