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Sara Gifford most recently of Dillsburg, died at the scene of the crash in the northbound lanes of Route 15 at the intersection with Bonners Hill Road in Latimore Township, authorities confirmed to Daily Voice.
The crash happened just before 4 p.m. on Dec. 22, according to PennDOT.
A Life Lion helicopter was initially called to the scene and later the coroner's office was called. It is unknown if the tractor-trailer driver was injured.
It is also unclear what direction the tractor-trailer was heading before it ended up on the median facing south. Sara's flattened car ended up in front of a road fruit stand, authorities told Daily Voice.
Traffic was detoured and delayed for miles as both lanes were closed until 6:30 p.m. The northbound lanes remained shuttered from Route 94 to Latimore Valley Road reopening by 8 p.m., according to 511PA.
Sara Gifford died an accidental death caused by blunt force injuries, Adams County Chief Deputy Coroner Francis Dutrow told Daily Voice following her autopsy on Tuesday, Dec. 26.
Sara was originally from Mechanicsburg, according to her Facebook profile. She was a graduate of Pennsylvania State University earning a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2012 and a Master of Arts in Humanities/Humanistic Studies in 2018, as detailed on her LinkedIn.
She was enrolled at Indiana University of Pennsylvania studying for a Ph.D. and going for a law degree according to LinkedIn and social media posts. She anticipated graduating in 2026.
After graduating from PennState, Sara was a Designated School Official at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Then she worked as a Graduate Assistant at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Next, she started doing some freelance editing and took a job as an Adjunct Professor at the Pennsylvania College of Technology.
She continued in the last two positions as she began her role as an Assistant Director of International Student Services at Gettysburg College in July.
College President President Bob Iuliano said the following in an email to the campus community reading in part:
"Her absence leaves a hole in the fabric of our community. You may have seen Sara on campus with her family as they attended many College events together. She helped countless Gettysburg students to feel at home on campus, and she was always there to offer support and a listening ear when you needed her most. Sara was a trusted mentor, colleague, and friend."
Students can contact an on-call crisis counselor through Campus Safety if needed (717-337-6911), employees can connect with WellSpan EAP for counseling, and for the international students she served "we will be opening the International Student Center from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. today. Brad, Carla, one of our counselors, and other members of the College Life team will be there for students who need support,” Iuliano stated in the email.
"The way in which Sara lived her life—always guided by service, kindness, and hope—is a reminder of the impact we can have on the lives of those around us. May we commit today to honoring the remarkable legacy Sara leaves behind on our campus."
She was also active with the nonprofit Harrisburg Young Professionals, according to social media.
She is survived by her family, colleagues, classmates, and all the students whose lives she touched.
Her funeral and memorial details have not been shared publicly at the time of publishing.
This is one of three fatal crashes that Daily Voice has reported on Boxing Day in Pennsylvania. Click here to read about the head-on crash that killed a girl on Christmas Eve in Lancaster County. You can read about the three-vehicle crash that fatally ejected 27-year-old Karina Cruz-Camuy, also in Lancaster County, by clicking here.
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