Indiana County Coroner Jerry Overman Jr. this morning confirmed the death of a 78-year-old Blairsville woman who was struck last night by a vehicle that was pulling out of a parking spot at the Resort Plaza shopping center in Burrell Township.
Overman says 78-year-old Darlene Ann Shaffer of 417 North Brady Street was struck by a Jeep Grand Cherokee as she was walking to her vehicle after exiting the Rite-Aid store. She was run over by the wheel of the SUV and was trapped underneath it until being extricated by firefighters.
Blairsville and Black Lick firefighters were dispatched to the scene at about 6:30 PM, and Coral Graceton firefighters set up a helicopter landing zone. Overman pronounced Shaffer dead at the scene at 6:48 PM. The cause of death is pending an autopsy and the manner is pending the results of the investigation.
The driver of the SUV was not publicly identified. State police have not yet released a report on the accident.
