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Names released of those in fatal crash

CONNOQUENESSING TWP — The names of the people involved in the fatal crash Monday morning on Route 68 have been released.

Justin Enslen, 25, of Connoquenessing Township was on his way home from a methadone clinic when he crossed into oncoming traffic and caused a collision that killed the other driver in front of the Connoquenessing Elementary School, state police said.

Investigators believe Enslen was impaired and had a suspended license for a previous drunken driving conviction, said Lt. Eric Hermick.

“He was at fault,” Hermick said of Enslen.

Mark Bishop, 52, of Oakland Township died in the crash about 10:35 a.m. Butler County Coroner William Young III pronounced him dead at the scene.

Bishop’s sister, Holly Merkner, 41, of Lyndora, a passenger in his Nissan Frontier, was taken by ambulance to Butler Memorial Hospital, authorities said.

Police did not consider her injuries serious.

An ambulance took Enslen to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh with “non-life-threatening injuries,” police said.

Enslen, who lives not far from the crash, was eastbound on Route 68 when his Dodge Ram pickup truck veered into the opposite lane.

“Witnesses reported that he abruptly swerved into the oncoming lane,” Hermick said. “(Bishop) had no time to react.”

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