Found Deceased WV - Kevin Lataille, 59, driving home to Smithfield PA in bronze Hyundai Tucson, last seen leaving work at Eat'n Park, Morgantown, 19 Jan 2025

[Aegon_the_Conqueror]

JAN 26, 2025

Fayette County man found dead after car discovered in Cheat Lake

A Fayette County man last seen leaving work from an Eat'n Park in Morgantown, West Virginia, was found dead Sunday after a vehicle was discovered partially submerged in Cheat Lake.

www.wtae.com

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 was on the scene, where ice rescue teams and dive units could be seen breaking through ice on the lake to help recover the vehicle.

"Ice rescue technicians walked along the interstate bridge locating car parts," the post said. "Ice rescue personnel cut an access hole for divers which were deployed locating the vehicle in 12 feet of water under the ice. Divers were able to confirm the vehicle’s color, make and model, and also confirmed the vehicle was occupied."

Vehicle, body of missing Fayette County man recovered from West Virginia lake

Crews pulled an SUV from a lake using a tow truck and dive teams.

www.cbsnews.com

Murrysville Medic One administrative director Darrick Gerano confirmed the victim was Kevin Lataille.

Gerano said they obtained video that showed a vehicle going off the bridge.

Officials have not shared why they believe the car went off the road.

That's one video I probably don't wanna see.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 26, 2025

Pennsylvania Navy Veteran Found Dead In Submerged Car In West Virginia Lake

A Pennsylvania U.S. Navy veteran was found dead in Cheat Lake, West Virginia, after his car plunged off Interstate 68, officials announced on Sunday, Jan. 26.Kevin Lataille, 59, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, had last been seen leaving w…

dailyvoice.com

Lataille was a proud U.S. Navy veteran who served as a Hospital Corpsman. He later pursued Medical Laboratory Technology studies at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) and graduated from the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps School. Originally from Woonsocket, Rhode Island, Lataille attended Woonsocket High School and the Woonsocket Area Career & Technical Center, where he specialized in Health Occupations.

 

[shoogyb]

That's one video I probably don't wanna see.

Sadly, this is the outcome I was expecting given the road conditions and his last known location. May he rest in peace.

 

[GraceG]

One of the top comments echoed my first thought... How the hell did he get the car over the concrete barrier? There would've been pieces of his car all over the place. One person speculated that they plowed snow up to it so that it was like a ramp (is there no other way to do it?). Mon County's probably gonna have a lawsuit on their hands (or would this be on the. DoT, since this is an interstate? IDK). Then again, we don't know how fast he was going, or if he was using Bluetooth on his phone, so it's too early to place 100% of the blame.

Monongalia County's notorious for their road maintenance (not saying this was definitely the cause). Which is odd, considering the wealth the University brings in. Morgantown is nicknamed "Morganhole" because the roads are a disaster after a harsh winter. It's like a hailstorm of bowling balls hit the road.

Different circumstances - he was on a flat stretch of I-79, I was going downhill on I-68, which connects with 79 near Morgantown - but it reminds me of when I was driving through maybe a dozen years ago. I don't think it was snowing at the time (maybe it had just stopped), but it was still icy. I did a complete 360° and spun-out across the left lane and came to a stop in the median. Luckily nobody else was stupid enough to be on the road at the time.

If you search for it there's an old video out of a car crash in another state where the guy was zipping along an interstate overpass , lost control and slid into and up onto the overpass railing (solid cement) skidded along the top of it (damage would have been to the undercarriage only), then tipped off the side (landing right side up, he actually lived). You're so correct, plowed snow can act like a ramp.

 

[Valiant]

When there is active snowfall, snow removal on major interstates follow a pattern from what I've observed in several states.
First they plow the right hand lane. This would throw snow to the right hand shoulder.
Then they plow the left lane. Only after everything is clear do they go back and plow the shoulders, so it is possible there would have been snow pushed to the side of the road which might have made it easier for a car to go over than under normal conditions.

 

[Aegon_the_Conqueror]

When there is active snowfall, snow removal on major interstates follow a pattern from what I've observed in several states.
First they plow the right hand lane. This would throw snow to the right hand shoulder.
Then they plow the left lane. Only after everything is clear do they go back and plow the shoulders, so it is possible there would have been snow pushed to the side of the road which might have made it easier for a car to go over than under normal conditions.

I wonder if there are additional safety measure they could take on bridges, simply to keep a ramp from forming. I don't think it would take much time, because the Cheat Lake bridge isn't very long. It isn't very high either, for that matter, but it's high enough, when it's frozen. I'm not sure that a guardrail on top of the concrete would be sufficient, because people plow through those all the time (and how long does it take to replace missing sections?).

I was going to say, what does the New River Bridge do to keep people from driving off, but of I remember correctly, they have wider shoulders. (Haven't been on that bridge in a long time.)

Every state manages to screw up snow plowing in some way. I used to commute to Manhattan from Jersey (now my office is in Jersey, thankfully); one day it snowed only a few inches, but Murphy "forgot" to salt the roads the night before, and they ended up closing Port Authority altogether. That sent everyone to the trains, and I made it as far as the connection at Newark Penn when they started shutting down NJ Transit. It was basically a wall-to-wall crowd crush, and the only way I could move was if I was pushed in one direction or another. 3 weeks later, Murphy salted the roads. There was no snow the next day. (The forecast only called for a chance of flurries in some areas.)

 

[Valiant]

I wonder if there are additional safety measure they could take on bridges, simply to keep a ramp from forming. I don't think it would take much time, because the Cheat Lake bridge isn't very long. It isn't very high either, for that matter, but it's high enough, when it's frozen. I'm not sure that a guardrail on top of the concrete would be sufficient, because people plow through those all the time (and how long does it take to replace missing sections?).

I was going to say, what does the New River Bridge do to keep people from driving off, but of I remember correctly, they have wider shoulders. (Haven't been on that bridge in a long time.)

Every state manages to screw up snow plowing in some way. I used to commute to Manhattan from Jersey (now my office is in Jersey, thankfully); one day it snowed only a few inches, but Murphy "forgot" to salt the roads the night before, and they ended up closing Port Authority altogether. That sent everyone to the trains, and I made it as far as the connection at Newark Penn when they started shutting down NJ Transit. It was basically a wall-to-wall crowd crush, and the only way I could move was if I was pushed in one direction or another. 3 weeks later, Murphy salted the roads. There was no snow the next day. (The forecast only called for a chance of flurries in some areas.)

Yes, it's not a large bridge but there are hundreds of bridges the state must take care of in that area.

 

[Aegon_the_Conqueror]

Yes, it's not a large bridge but there are hundreds of bridges the state must take care of in that area.

Yeah, but this one's also one of the most heavily-trafficked, with university traffic (a nightmare, even with the PRT) and people traveling between Charleston, Maryland, and Pittsburgh. A lot of professors (and coaches) live around Cheat Lake.

 

[Valiant]

Yeah, but this one's also one of the most heavily-trafficked, with university traffic (a nightmare, even with the PRT) and people traveling between Charleston, Maryland, and Pittsburgh. A lot of professors (and coaches) live around Cheat Lake.

But so are all the roads leading up to that bridge. If they break protocol for that bridge, then there's a travel lane not getting cleared as fast.
This is a tragic accident, for sure. But there is nothing unique about this bridge. I travel it regularly.

 

[Aegon_the_Conqueror]

But so are all the roads leading up to that bridge. If they break protocol for that bridge, then there's a travel lane not getting cleared as fast.
This is a tragic accident, for sure. But there is nothing unique about this bridge. I travel it regularly.

True. Mostly just brainstorming on my part. I was thinking maybe they could shovel the ramp into the river. But that's the best I could come up with.

 

[asmi106082]

I wonder if there are additional safety measure they could take on bridges, simply to keep a ramp from forming. I don't think it would take much time, because the Cheat Lake bridge isn't very long. It isn't very high either, for that matter, but it's high enough, when it's frozen. I'm not sure that a guardrail on top of the concrete would be sufficient, because people plow through those all the time (and how long does it take to replace missing sections?).

I was going to say, what does the New River Bridge do to keep people from driving off, but of I remember correctly, they have wider shoulders. (Haven't been on that bridge in a long time.)

Every state manages to screw up snow plowing in some way. I used to commute to Manhattan from Jersey (now my office is in Jersey, thankfully); one day it snowed only a few inches, but Murphy "forgot" to salt the roads the night before, and they ended up closing Port Authority altogether. That sent everyone to the trains, and I made it as far as the connection at Newark Penn when they started shutting down NJ Transit. It was basically a wall-to-wall crowd crush, and the only way I could move was if I was pushed in one direction or another. 3 weeks later, Murphy salted the roads. There was no snow the next day. (The forecast only called for a chance of flurries in some areas.)

In Pennsylvania they salt the bridges before a storm. MOO

 

[Valiant]

In Pennsylvania they salt the bridges before a storm. MOO

West Virginia does too. But when the snow is heavy it still accumulates even with the pretreating. Then they have to plow and put down more salt.

WVDOT ready for winter weather, with planned routes and plenty of salt

Transportation.wv.gov is the official Web site for the State of West Virginia and is the result of an innovative public-private partnership between the state and West Virginia Interactive.

transportation.wv.gov

 

[appleatcha]

Per this statement from the Monongalia County Sheriff's Office, "Based on the findings of the investigation, law enforcement has determined that Sukhjinder Singh was operating the suspect tractor in a reckless manner, striking multiple vehicles, including Lataille’s, and driving at unsafe speeds for the road conditions. Singh’s reckless driving directly caused the fatal crash that resulted in Kevin C. Lataille’s tragic death. A warrant has been issued for Singh’s arrest for Negligent Homicide."

Edited to clarify: This is referring to a semi-truck and trailer, not a farm tractor.

 

[appleatcha]

Sorry to double post, but I just saw in WBOY 12 News that in addition to the criminal charges in Monongalia County, a law firm representing the family is filing a federal lawsuit against the driver.

 

[appleatcha]

The sheriff's office released another statement. Singh Sukhjinder was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 4, 2025, on the charge of Negligent Homicide. Further legal proceedings will be handled by the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office.

I hope the arrest brings some peace & closure to his loved ones.

MOO: The comments from the public on each of these Facebook posts are disgusting, but unfortunately, not surprising.

 

[Aegon_the_Conqueror]

The sheriff's office released another statement. Singh Sukhjinder was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 4, 2025, on the charge of Negligent Homicide. Further legal proceedings will be handled by the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office.

I hope the arrest brings some peace & closure to his loved ones.

MOO: The comments from the public on each of these Facebook posts are disgusting, but unfortunately, not surprising.

First one I saw:
"What about the people who saw it happen and didn’t do anything?"

Yeah, why didn't anyone jump in the lake and save him???

 

[Valiant]

First one I saw:
"What about the people who saw it happen and didn’t do anything?"

Yeah, why didn't anyone jump in the lake and save him???

Because they would have died. The water temp would have caused hypothermia almost instantly.

 

[Aegon_the_Conqueror]

Because they would have died. The water temp would have caused hypothermia almost instantly.

Thanks man, hadn't thought of that.

 

[Valiant]

I'm also not sure anyone actually witnessed the accident from the news reports I'd seen.
It sounded more like the accident was seen from camera footage after the car was found, not in person when the accident actually happened. This is my opinion based on local news casts.

 

[Valiant]

Just to provide the link now:
Here's the quote, saying the viewing of the accident was from camera footage:
Officials say following the discovery they were able to review surveillance footage of the area. The footage showed a "large vehicle sliding on the bridge, throwing snow into the air, and a separate passenger vehicle falling from the bridge into the lake."
Source:

Truck driver facing charges for death of missing Fayette County man found in submerged car

According to authorities, a trucker lost control of his tractor trailer and jack-knifed while driving in a reckless manner during severe snowstorm condition. Officials say the crash sent Kevin Lataille's vehicle off Cheat Lake Bridge.

www.wtae.com