A young Christiana woman died in a noonday crash Sunday near Cochranville in Chester County, Avondale state police said.

Kayla M. Steffy, 18, died at Jennersville Regional Hospital after being partially thrown out of a pickup truck that overturned on Daleville Road, south of Route 10, Trooper Michael A. Santos reported.

Steffy was one of three passengers in a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 truck driven by Pamela L. Tatum, 41, of Parkesburg, Santos said.

Tatum lost control of the truck while driving south on Daleville Road in West Fallowfield Township, Santos said.

The truck traveled across the northbound lane, struck a ditch and roadside fence and upset, the trooper said.

Tatum and the other passengers, Andrew W. Tatum, 18, of Parkesburg; and a 17-year-old girl from Cochranville were not injured in the 12:03 p.m. crash, police said.

Also early today, six people were heading to the Wal-Mart store in East Lampeter Township when their sport-utility vehicle crashed into a telephone pole on Millport Road, near Lancaster County Central Park, police said.

Edward Rivera, 18, of Glenwood Avenue, was driving east and swerved to avoid striking a deer that ran in front of his Suzuki SUV shortly before 2 a.m., West Lampeter Township police Officer Cameron Evans said.

The SUV struck the pole in the 1400 block of Millport Road, just east of Eshelman Mill Road.

Rivera and his passengers had minor injuries. Some required hospital treatment, police said.


Staff writer John M. Hoober III can be reached at jhoober@LNPnews.com or 481-6027.