Saltsburg man pleads guilty to vehicular homicide in fatal Route 22 crash

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GREENSBURG, Pa. — A Saltsburg man has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in connection with a fatal crash on Derry Township Route 22 in September 2020 that claimed the life of a Blairsville resident. Martin McKnight, 47, entered a guilty plea to Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli said.

McKnight was cited for failing to stop at a red light at the intersection of Route 981 and Route 22, causing a collision with a pickup truck driven by 62-year-old Alan Goldizen. Witnesses told police that McKnight ran a red light and struck the driver’s side door of Goldizen’s vehicle. Following the crash, McKnight abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene, but surrendered to the Pennsylvania State Police the next day.

Goldizen was hospitalized following the crash and died about a month later due to complications from his injuries.

As part of his sentence, McKnight was ordered to serve 2 to 5 years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Prosecutor Ziccarelli expressed gratitude to the Pennsylvania State Police in Kiski for their investigation and Deputy District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli, who prosecuted the case.

McKnight’s guilty plea brings closure to the case more than three years after the tragic incident.