Wexford Man Seriously Injuried in Seven-Car Pileup on I-79 Tuesday

A Wexford man was seriously injured in seven-car pileup on Interstate 79 North just south of the Wexford exit during rush-hour traffic on Tuesday.

State police said Larry Fairbanks, 63, of Grand Haven, MI, was picking up a map from the floor of his vehicle at about 5:50 p.m. and failed to see the cars stopped in front of him. He struck the rear of a car driven by Thomas Smithyman, 41, of Wexford, at about 55 mph. The collision set off a chain reaction as Smithyman’s car was pushed into the car in front of him and led to four other cars being bumped from behind.

Smithyman was taken by ambulance to Allegheny General Hospital on Pittsburgh's North Side for treatment of serious injuries, police said. Rescue personnel treated three other people at the scene for minor injuries. Traffic was tied up while six of the vehicles that suffered extensive damage were towed from the highway.

Fairbanks is charged with careless driving, following too closely, and speeding, police said.