SALEM, W.Va. — Harrison County Sheriff Albert Marano said two Preston County residents were killed Wednesday evening when a car they were driving east on U.S. Route 50 was struck by an out-of-control vehicle.
Marano released the names of the victims Thursday afternoon.
The sheriff said Samuel Slaubaugh, 39, of Eglon and Gilbert Bowman, 26, of Aurora, were in a car near Lower Dug Run at about 5:30 Wednesday evening when a pick-up truck driven by Virginia Burton, 69, of Salem, came across the median and slammed into their vehicle.
Investigators said Burton lost control of her westbound truck moments earlier. It first went off the left side of the road and into the median, back into the westbound lanes of Route 50 before hitting a guardrail on the right side of the highway that sent the truck airborne into the eastbound lanes. After Burton’s truck hit the victim’s car the truck flipped over the eastbound guardrail and went over an embankment.
Burton is in stable condition at Ruby Memorial Hospital. Deputies are continuing their investigation.