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Obituary

A Monessen man was fatally injured in an accident triggered when a car driven by a Charleoi woman went our of control on U.S.Route 22,east of Blairsville,Indiana County,late yesterday afternoon. State Police in Indiana said Rodney E.Freeman,21,of Park Manor,was dead on arrival at Latrobe General Hospital of head and internal injuries at 5:30 p.m. A passanger in his car,William Jones,21,of Houston,was admitted to Latrobe Hospital in serious condition. Police said a car,operated by Stella M.Frantz,49,of 55 Garr St.,Charleroi,was traveling west in the fast-bound lane of Route 22 at an apparent high rate of speed when it went out of control after passing a tractor-trailer,also going west,and crossed the concrete medial barrier into the path of Freeman,traveling east. Freeman was enroute to Iniana University of Pennyslvania to visit a brother,Mark,who is a freshman there,at the time of the accident. Police set the time of the accident at 4:40 p.m. Police said the Freeman car was literally torn apart by the impact of the crash. Troopers are still investigating. It was not known if the Frantz woman of the passanger in her car,Diane Frantz,17,same address,were injured seriously. Freeman was born in Monessen on Nov.17,1951,son of Ernestine and Andrew Freeman,who reside in Monessen,and was graduated from Monessen High School in 1969. He served a short term in the U.S.Navy and is a member of the U.S.Navy Reserve. He has been employed at the Monessen Works of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp.,since February,1970,starting as a laborer in the BOF. He became supervisor of scrap inspection in the steelmaking division in July,1972. Prior to his advancement to supervisor,he worked as a craneman in the tripper department from May of 1970. Freeman was also a volunteer member of the Monessen Ambulance Service. Surviving,in addition to his parents,are his widow,Gloria Gaul Freeman,one son,Rodney Ernest Jr.,one sister,Janet Freeman,a member of the faculty at Belle Vernon Area High School,two brothers,Andrew Freeman Jr.,at home,and Mark Freeman,student at Indiana University. Friends will be received at the Beverly Draper Funeral Home,Monessen,from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Funeral services will be held Monday at 11 a.m. in Fellowship Baptist Church,Monessen,and interment will follow in Belle Vernon Cemetery.

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