Wednesday morning in State College took a tragic turn this week when a local woman lost her life in a horrific single-vehicle accident. Around 11:13 a.m., the peace near a busy local intersection shattered in an instant. Community members are still processing the sudden loss of one of their neighbors after a vehicle went completely airborne.
The Centre County Coroner’s office officially identified the woman on Friday evening as Raina A. Kassoway. She was 48 years old and lived nearby in the town of Boalsburg. According to Chief Deputy Coroner John D. Kubalak, Kassoway passed away from severe blunt force trauma to her head and chest.
Police later reviewed surveillance video footage to understand exactly what happened during those final moments. The videos showed Kassoway driving northbound on Allen Street at an extremely high rate of speed. As she approached the intersection at Westerly Parkway, her vehicle used the westbound turn lane but continued straight down the road.
Within seconds, the vehicle completely lost control and careened off the pavement. It was a terrifying scene as the car narrowly avoided hitting a driver heading southbound and a pedestrian walking northbound. Bystanders could only watch in shock as the vehicle tore across a nearby lawn.
The vehicle’s path ended violently when it struck a solid cement retaining wall located on Sunrise Terrace. The impact was so intense that it launched the car directly into the air. It flipped over completely before coming to a violent rest right on its roof.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene and quickly transported Kassoway to Mount Nittany Medical Center. Medical teams worked tirelessly on her, performing extensive resuscitative efforts to save her life. Unfortunately, her injuries were simply too severe, and she was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Chief Deputy Coroner Kubalak noted in a Friday press release that the death has been ruled an accident. Both the coroner’s office and the State College police are still actively working to piece together all the remaining details. Local authorities are asking anyone with any information to call them at 814-234-7150 or send an email to police@statecollegepa.us.
