Dauphin County coroner Graham S. Hetrick has identified the driver killed yesterday afternoon in a one-vehicle crash along Arsenal Boulevard in Harrisburg as Gregory E. Whale Jr., 18, of the 2500 block of North Fifth Street in Harrisburg. Whale's death was due to multiple traumatic injuries, Hetrick said. Whale was pronounced dead at the scene.
Harrisburg police said the crash happened around 3:30 p.m. when Whale's black Ford 2000 Taurus swerved off the road and into a guide rail, then a tree. According to witnesses, Whale, who was headed east on Arsenal Boulevard, was passing a line of traffic just before the road narrows from two lanes to one.
Police said Whale lost control of his vehicle on the wet road and spun around into the oncoming lane before hitting the guide rail on the north side of the road. His car then spun back across the road and down and embankment, hitting the tree on the driver's side.
No other vehicles were involved, and nobody else was injured, police said. Harrisburg police are continuing their investigation. Anyone with information about the crash may contact Sgt. Clifford Karlsen at 717-255-3123 or by e-mail at
ckarlsen@cityofhbg.com.