A Mount Clare woman was killed and another woman was injured in a head-on collision on state Route 98 Monday morning.
Betsy Boley, 50, of P.O. Box 256, Mount Clare, was pronounced dead on the scene by rescuers after her eastbound 1985 Chevrolet Cavalier crossed the center line, and struck a westbound 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Getta Grover, 45, of Morgantown, said Clarksburg Police Department Patrolman T.R. Smith.
"For unknown reasons, (Boley's) vehicle went left of center and struck (Grover's vehicle) head-on," he said.
Attempts to revive Boley were unsuccessful, Smith said.
Grover was listed in stable condition at United Hospital Center Monday afternoon, a spokeswoman said. She was still being assessed at that time.
Boley and Grover were the only ones in their vehicles, and no other cars were involved.
Boley was not wearing a seat belt and her car had no air bags, Smith said. The collision threw her forward into the steering wheel and windshield, he said.
Investigators found no skidmarks in either direction, so determining speed will be difficult, Smith said.
Eyewitnesses said there was no apparent reason why Boley crossed the center line.
"She just came over; the Jeep didn't have time to do anything," said Bill Halterman of Buckhannon.
Halterman, who was traveling about four car lengths behind Grover, said the accident happened so suddenly that Grover did not have time to hit the brakes.
Halterman said a guard rail prevented Grover from going right to avoid Boley's car.
Halterman stopped before becoming involved in the accident himself, he said. But traveling at least four car lengths behind other cars is no accident for him, Halterman said. As a driving instructor for the U.S. Postal Service, defensive driving is always on his mind.
"If I had been much closer, I would have hit (Grover)," he said. "You always hear about the two-second rule, but we use the four-second rule at the Postal Service."
The investigation is ongoing, as investigators try to recreate the accident, Smith said.
