The family of a Butler County man killed in a 2024 motorcycle crash filed a lawsuit Wednesday, alleging that poorly marked curves and a history of “roadway departures” at a local intersection led to his death.
Roger Davis Jr., 25, died from injuries suffered in a Sept. 15, 2024, crash near the intersection of routes 356 and 56. The six-count lawsuit, filed by Davis’ parents, names Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County and PennDOT as defendants.
According to court documents, Davis was traveling south on Route 356 on his 2009 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic when he failed to negotiate a curve. He was thrown from the motorcycle, suffering “catastrophic injuries” that led to his death 10 days later.
The lawsuit claims the merge point between the two state routes is inherently dangerous.
“This intersection at issue has a history of run-off-the-road incidents and/or crashes. This is shown by the physical evidence of roadway departures including but not limited to clearly visible scratches, tire marks on the top side of the median,” the filing states.
The Davis family contends that remnants of damaged traffic signs at the site prove that local and state officials were aware of the danger but failed to take corrective action.
The suit further alleges a lack of adequate signage to help drivers differentiate between the median and the pavement during the merge.
Westmoreland County Solicitor Melissa Guiddy declined to comment on the allegations.
While she could not confirm maintenance responsibility for that specific stretch, county Public Works Director Dante DeCario was more direct.
“Westmoreland County does not own or have any responsibility for Route 356 or Route 56,” DeCario said, noting the county maintains only 52 miles of roadway.
Allegheny Township officials did not respond to requests for comment.
