PITTSBURGH, PA — A 72-year-old Ohio woman has been charged in connection with a deadly wrong-way crash on the Mon/Fayette Expressway that killed a 24-year-old West Penn Power lineman and seriously injured two people, according to state police and court records.
Investigators say the collision happened around 4:30 a.m. on July 14, 2026, near the Interstate 70 interchange. The driver accused in the crash, Maciola Newman of Pickering, Ohio, is facing multiple counts, including homicide by vehicle.
Police say Newman was driving in the wrong direction in the southbound lanes when her vehicle struck the car driven by Jacob Huber. Huber was killed at the scene, and Newman and her passenger were flown to Allegheny General Hospital with serious injuries.
Court records outline the charges against Maciola Newman
According to court paperwork, Newman is charged with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and traffic offenses. The filing links the criminal case to the fatal July crash and says state police reconstructed what happened afterward.
The case is now moving through the court system, and records show Newman has a preliminary hearing scheduled for next week. That hearing is expected to be an early step in the legal process, where the charges can be reviewed before the case advances further.
Newman and her passenger were both badly hurt in the wreck, but the charges focus on the deadly outcome for Huber and the allegation that the vehicle was traveling the wrong way on the expressway. Police have tied that claim to their reconstruction of the crash.
Investigators say wrong-way driving caused the collision
State police say the evidence shows Newman was heading north in the southbound lanes when the crash occurred. Investigators documented tire marks, debris and the points where both vehicles stopped after impact.
That reconstruction was central to the case, according to the criminal complaint. Police said the findings confirmed that the vehicle Newman was driving entered or remained in the southbound lanes while traveling the opposite direction.
The trooper who responded described catastrophic damage to Huber’s vehicle, the complaint states. Officials also noted that Huber’s speedometer was stuck at 80 miles an hour after the collision, a detail investigators included in their account of the crash scene.
Jacob Huber remembered as a young lineman and friend
Jacob Huber, who was 24, worked as a lineman for West Penn Power. His obituary described him as someone who was always ready to help others and as a friend to anyone in need.
His death turned the crash into more than a traffic case, leaving family, friends and coworkers to remember a young worker whose life ended before dawn on the expressway. The fatal wreck also drew attention because of the severity of the collision and the rare danger posed by a wrong-way driver at highway speeds.
Authorities have not said anything in the charging documents about why Newman may have been traveling the wrong way. The criminal complaint instead focuses on the physical evidence from the roadway and the reconstruction that followed.
Serious injuries followed impact and both cars were heavily damaged
Court records say Newman and the passenger in her car were each seriously injured and airlifted to Allegheny General Hospital after the crash. That detail underscores how violent the collision was and how quickly emergency crews had to respond.
The trooper’s description of catastrophic damage to Huber’s car adds to that picture. Investigators also recorded debris fields and the resting places of both vehicles, which are common pieces of crash-scene evidence used to determine direction, speed and point of impact.
Although the case centers on criminal charges, the physical evidence described by police will likely remain important as the proceedings continue. The reconstruction, combined with the highway markings and vehicle positions, formed the basis for the accusation that Newman was driving north in the southbound lanes.
Next hearing will begin the pretrial process
Newman’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for next week, according to court records. That appearance will give the defense and prosecutors an early opportunity to address the charges arising from the July crash.
For now, the case remains focused on the alleged wrong-way driving, the deadly outcome for Huber and the injuries suffered by Newman and her passenger. The charges include serious felony counts, and the legal process will determine how the case moves forward from here.
State police have not said in the court filing what may have caused the vehicle to enter the wrong-way lane. What has been laid out so far is the sequence investigators believe led to the fatal crash and the evidence they say supports that conclusion.
