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Investigators believe speed played role in fatal Westmoreland Co. crash

MOUNT PLEASANT, Pa — Authorities have identified the 27-year-old man who was killed in a serious one-car crash Saturday night in Westmoreland County.

Investigators said the accident was reported on School Road in Mount Pleasant about 5 p.m.

Police said the driver of the car, 23-year-old Scott Leighliter, was driving north at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the car and crashed into two utility poles. The vehicle rolled and then hit a tree, according to police.

Leighliter and his two passengers, 27-year-old Patrick Marshala and 27-year-old Coren Moximchalk, were ejected from the car.

Moximchalk was pronounced dead at the scene, and Leighliter and Marshala were flown to a local hospital with serious injuries, police said. Their conditions have not been released.

Channel 11's Courtney Brennan spoke to residents who live along School Road, and they told her speed is a problem on the 35-mph road.

"People go a little faster than they should," Bill Murphy said. "We talked Saturday at the wreck, and most people were saying it's just too fast."

Neighbors like Murphy and Staci Vanyo, who has a nephew at nearby Rumbuagh Elementary School, said they're concerned because kids are often outside.

"The speed limit is 35, but I do see a lot of drivers doing more," Vanyo said.

Saturday's accident was the seventh fatal wreck in Westmoreland County this year.

"We try and find out where all the different fatal crashes took place in the county, and then we'll go out and do aggressive enforcement in those particular areas," state Trooper Steve Limani said.

Investigators said the official cause of the accident won't be released for a couple of weeks.