Report: Officials Say Trooper Was At Fault In Deadly Crash

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LIGONIER (KDKA) -- Officials have reportedly determined that the state trooper who was killed when his vehicle collided with a garbage truck in July was at fault in the crash.

The Tribune-Review reports that state police said 26-year-old Trooper Michael P. Stewart III was at fault for the crash between his state police cruiser and a garbage truck.

Stewart was driving southbound on Route 711 around 2:20 a.m. on July 14 when a garbage truck began to make a left turn out of a parking lot. The police cruiser crashed into the driver's side of the garbage truck.

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Stewart suffered major injuries and died at the scene of the crash. His partner, Trooper Travis November, was injured and continues to recover.

The garbage truck driver was not injured in the crash.

According to the Tribune-Review, investigators said the police cruiser's speed, sight distance of the roadway, a wet roadway and fog were factors in the crash.

State police told the Tribune-Review there would be no additional comment on the investigation.