Pa. bike deaths spiking | York County shop raises awareness
Zech says safety starts before riders even get on the road.
CHRISTINE HAS THE TIMING ON JUST HOW SOON WE’LL GO THERE. WGAL NEWS 8. TODAY STARTS NOW. ALL RIGHT, IT’S 5:00 AND IT’S FRIDAY. I’M GLAD IT’S FRIDAY. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. I’M MATT BARCARO. I’M KATELYN SMITH REGINA GOT A LOOK AT OUR COMMUTE THIS MORNING, AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE 80S AND 90S, BUT NOT TODAY. NOT TODAY. YES. IF YOU’RE A FAN OF THE 60S, I THINK TODAY WE HAVE UPPER 60S FOR YOU. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT OUR FORECAST THIS MORNING. WE’RE STARTING OUT WITH SOME CLOUDS. YOU JUST SAW THAT LIVE PICTURE WHERE THE CLOUDS ARE STARTING TO BREAK UP. I DO THINK WE’LL SEE BREAKS OF SUN THIS MORNING. AND THEN PARTLY SUNNY SKIES THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURE CHECK 48 IN SELINSGROVE. IT’S 51 IN HARRISBURG FOR CARLISLE AND CHAMBERSBURG. WIND SPEEDS. IT WAS A BREEZY DAY YESTERDAY AND IT WILL BE BREEZY TODAY. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT WIND SPEEDS THIS AFTERNOON, ABOUT 10 TO 20MPH OUT OF THE NORTHWEST. SO HERE’S A LOOK AT YOUR 12 HOUR FORECAST. WE’LL SEE BREAKS OF SUN. AT TIMES IT WILL BE PARTLY SUNNY. AT TIMES IT MIGHT BE MOSTLY CLOUDY THIS AFTERNOON, BUT THE TEMPERATURE GETS UP TO 68. SO ANOTHER COOL DAY BEFORE PERHAPS YOU’RE CRANKING THE A C THIS WEEKEND OR EARLY NEXT WEEK FOR SURE. SUCH A BIG CHANGE. HUGE CHANGE. AND IT COULD BE OUR FIRST 90 OF THE YEAR AT LEAST IT’S SOMEWHAT GRADUAL THOUGH. EACH DAY WE’RE JUMPING ANOTHER ANOTHER TEN DEGREES. I THOUGHT YOU WERE A FAN OF THE SUN AND THE HEAT. I LIKE ALL THE KIND OF WHETHER YOU LIKE IT. ALL RIGHT. 501 ON YOUR FRIDAY. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY, AND HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU. AND WHAT A FRIDAY IT IS BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND AHEAD. RIGHT NOW. NO ISSUES THAT I’M SEEING. NO CRASHES OR INCIDENTS TO SLOW YOU DOWN. I DID NOTICE A LITTLE BIT OF A SLOWDOWN IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY. THIS IS ALONG I-81 AT EXIT 52 IN MIDDLESEX TOWNSHIP. THAT’S DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. THAT’S WRAPPING UP ACTUALLY. SO THAT IS GOOD NEWS THERE. I-81 AT EXIT 52 RIGHT NOW THEY’RE JUST WRAPPING UP SOME WORK FROM PENNDOT SOUTHBOUND. ALSO LOOKING FINE ON THIS FRIDAY MORNING. HARRISBURG, DAUPHIN COUNTY, THEY’RE 83 AND SOME DRIVE TIMES FOR YOU. IF YOU’RE HEADING OUT OF HARRISBURG TO CAMP HILL, FIVE MINUTE DRIVE, THEY’RE NOT TOO BAD. CARLISLE IS A 20 MINUTE DRIVE AND 14. IF YOU’RE HEADED TO HERSHEY, WE’LL HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. THIS HAS BEEN A LANCASTER TOYOTA TRAFFIC REPORT. CONTRACT TALKS ARE UNDERWAY IN THE DONEGAL SCHOOL DISTRICT IN LANCASTER COUNTY, BUT SOME SAY THEY DON’T LIKE WHAT THE DISTRICT IS OFFERING FOR TEACHERS OR BUS DRIVERS. LET’S GIVE YOU A LOOK AT LAST NIGHT’S BOARD MEETING. A PACKED HOUSE THERE. BUS DRIVERS SAY THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT A NEW TRANSPORTATION CONTRACT, AND TEACHERS ARE ASKING FOR MORE COMPETITIVE PAY. THE TEACHERS SAY THEY’RE BEING PAID THE LOWEST IN THE COUNTY, AND THEY’RE WORRIED THAT SOME TEACHERS ARE LEAVING TO GO WORK AT OTHER DISTRICTS. BOARD MEMBERS SAY AN OFFER OF AN AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF 3.8% IS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN OTHER NEARBY DISTRICTS. WE KNOW THAT TEACHERS ARE PAID SOME OF THE LOWEST IN THE COUNTY, AND MY KIDS GO HERE AND THEY LOVE IT. AND IT’S SUCH A GREAT SCHOOL. THESE TEACHERS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND ALL THE TIME, AND THEY DESERVE A FAIR CONTRACT. THEY NEED TO HAVE A HIGHER WAGE. OUR DISTRICT IS SPENDING MONEY ON LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS RIGHT NOW, AND THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THEM. THE SCHOOL BOARD SAYS THE NEW OFFER WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A STARTING SALARY OF 62,000 FOR SOMEONE WITH A BACHELOR’S DEGREE AND 81,000 FOR THOSE WITH A MASTER’S DEGREE. THE SCHOOL BOARD ALSO APPROVED A NEW TRANSPORTATION CONTRACT WITH THE SCHOOL BUS COMPANY. KRAFT SAYS CURRENT DRIVERS WILL GET THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN AND WORK FOR THEM. NEW THIS MORNING, PENN STATE FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE VOTED TO FORM A UNION. AFTER MONTHS OF ORGANIZING, UNION LEADERS SAY MORE THAN 2500 MEMBERS JOINED THE UNION. MORE THAN 5000 PEOPLE VOTED IN THIS ELECTION. THEY SAY THIS IS THE LARGEST ELECTION OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE. AFTER NEARLY FIVE DECADES, THE UNION WILL INCLUDE FACULTY MEMBERS FROM ALL OF PENN STATE’S CAMPUSES. AND THIS DOES COME AS THE UNIVERSITY PREPARES TO CLOSE SEVERAL BRANCH CAMPUSES. YOU CAN SEE THOSE LISTED ON YOUR SCREEN THERE INCLUDES PENN STATE, YORK AND MOUNT ALTO IN OUR AREA. THE YORK COUNTY SPCA IS ASKING FOR HELP WITH WHAT THEY SAY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CASES OF DOG HOARDING IN ITS HISTORY. THE SHELTER IS EXPECTING MORE THAN 50 DOGS TO COME INTO THEIR CARE IN THE COMING WEEKS, FILLING THEIR KENNEL SPACE DURING THE SUMMER SEASON, WHICH THEY SAY IS ONE OF THEIR BUSIEST TIMES OF THE YEAR. YORK SPCA IS A NO KILL SHELTER, SO THEY’RE ASKING PEOPLE WHO CAN FOSTER OR ADOPT THE DOGS TO REACH OUT TO THEM. THEY’VE ALSO ASKED FOR SUPPLIES LIKE DOG CRATES AND FOOD. THE SHELTER SAYS THE HOARDING SITUATION IS BEING INVESTIGATED, BUT DID NOT SHARE ANY MORE DETAILS. WE’VE REACHED OUT TO THE YORK COUNTY D.A. FOR MORE INFORMATION. THIS MORNING, WE ARE HEARING FROM THE CARETAKERS OF SOME ANIMALS RESCUED IN A DIFFERENT ANIMAL WELFARE CASE IN YORK COUNTY. POLICE SAY MORE THAN 60 ANIMALS WERE FOUND IN FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP, AND THAT SOME OF THEM WERE ALREADY DEAD. THESE ARE THE TWO PEOPLE CHARGED. WE’LL GET TO THEM IN JUST A MOMENT. SHORT AND CURLIES. ANIMAL RESCUE SANCTUARY DID TAKE 11 PIGS IN FROM THAT HOME. THEY SAY THEY TREATED THEM FOR BREATHING PROBLEMS. THEY WERE NOT GREAT. THEY WERE VERY SKINNY, VERY HUDDLED TOGETHER. WE ONLY REALLY HAD ONE OUT OF THE GROUP THAT WAS, WE’LL SAY, TAME. THEY’VE MADE GREAT PROGRESS THERE. THEY FILLED OUT. THEY ARE HEALTHY AND HAPPY AND HAVE A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH. SO THEY’RE DOING WELL. POLICE CHARGED 23 YEAR OLD CHASE FISHER AND 32 YEAR OLD PEDRO VEGA RIVERA OF COLUMBIA, WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY. IN THIS CASE, LEBANON COUNTY MAN CHARGED WITH MAKING TERRORISTIC THREATS AGAINST 20 ELECTED STATE DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS WAS IN COURT. ADAM BERRYHILL WAIVED HIS PRELIMINARY HEARING YESTERDAY. POLICE SAY HE POSTED A HIT LIST OF THOSE LAWMAKERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BERRYHILL IS IN THE LEBANON COUNTY PRISON. HE’S NOT ABLE TO POST BAIL. HE’S SCHEDULED TO BE BACK IN COURT NEXT MONTH. AND FOLLOWING A REVIEW OF THE HANDLING OF HARRY HILL’S CASE, THE ACTING STATE POLICE COMMISSIONER SAYS THERE WILL BE CHANGES TO ITS NOTIFICATION POLICY. SO IN A LETTER OBTAINED BY WGAL, COMMISSIONER GEORGE BIVENS SAID WHILE HIS AGENCY’S INVESTIGATION AND ARREST WAS ALL CONDUCTED PROPERLY, A REVIEW OF THE MATTER REVEALS, HE SAYS THAT THE AFFECTED LEGISLATORS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROPERLY NOTIFIED. HE SAYS THERE NEEDS TO BE A NEW NOTIFICATION PROCESS THAT INCLUDES A NEW PROCESS FOR COMMUNICATING THE THREATS, AND ALSO DESIGNATES A POINT PERSON FOR FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. ALSO IN THAT LETTER, STATE POLICE SAY THEY ARE NOW CREATING A NEW POLITICAL VIOLENCE THREAT UNIT. THE FUNERAL IS TODAY FOR THE 15 YEAR OLD, WHO WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN YORK LAST WEEK. PAUL HARRIS WAS KILLED AT PENN PARK ON MAY 5TH AFTER A FIGHT WITH A GROUP OF TEENAGERS. YORK POLICE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING HIS DEATH. THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAYS THREE NEW CASES OF MEASLES HAVE NOW BEEN CONFIRMED IN LANCASTER COUNTY. THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CONFIRMED CASES IN THE STATE TO 28 SO FAR THIS YEAR. LET’S GIVE YOU A BREAKDOWN OF THESE CASES BY COUNTY. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAYS OF THE RECENTLY IDENTIFIED CASES, ALL WERE EITHER UNVACCINATED PEOPLE OR PEOPLE WHO THEY DIDN’T KNOW THEIR VACCINATION STATUS. DOCTORS SAY YOU DON’T EVEN NEED TO BE IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH SOMEONE TO GET MEASLES. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE IN THE SAME SPACE WITHIN TWO HOURS OF THE INFECTED PERSON BEING THERE. SYMPTOMS TYPICALLY BEGIN 1 OR 2 WEEKS AFTER EXPOSURE. OUR PROGRAM CONTINUES TODAY TO HELP HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT CAREERS IN THE MEDICAL FIELD. LANCASTER GENERAL HEALTH STARTED ITS CAREER EXPLORATION PROGRAM. THIS IS CALLED A DAY IN THE LIFE. SO KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK IN THOSE FIELDS. MORE THAN 200 STUDENTS ARE TAKING PART IN THAT PROGRAM. THEY’RE WORKING ON EIGHT HANDS ON ACTIVITIES IN FIELDS LIKE RADIOLOGY, CARDIOLOGY AND NURSING. I THINK HEALTH IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT REALLY PEOPLE MATTER. AND ULTIMATELY THINGS WILL COME AND GO, BUT PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE HERE. AND I THINK HEALTH IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE. THIS YEAR, THE PROGRAM IS HONORING SUE MARTIN, WHO STARTED THIS PROGRAM AND RECENTLY DIED FROM CANCER. IT’S 508. AND THIS WEEK ON WGAL EIGHT IN FOCUS, WE ARE CONCENTRATING ON BULLYING IN SCHOOLS AND HOW TO PREVENT IT. IT CAN BE PHYSICAL IN NATURE. THERE CAN BE BULLYING BEHAVIOR. THERE CAN ALSO BE INDIRECT, WHICH IS KIND OF THAT FRIENDSHIP MANIPULATION. SPREADING RUMORS, SAYING MEAN THINGS BEHIND THEIR BACK. AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE’S CYBER BULLYING. YOU CAN FIND OUT WHAT PARENTS CAN DO AS WELL TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN FROM BULLYING. WHEN YOU JOIN US SUNDAY MORNING AT 11. AND REMEMBER, YOU CAN WATCH EVERY EPISODE, PLUS THE LATEST NEWSCAST AND SOME ORIGINAL PROGRAMING, ALL FOR FREE ON OUR VERY LOCAL APP, WHICH YOU CAN FIND ON ROKU AND AMAZON FIRE TV. 508 RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE HARRISBURG SKYCAM BEHIND US. NOT MUCH TO SEE YET. NOT YET, NOT YET. BUT IT’S COMING AS THE SUN COMES UP BEFORE 6:00 NOW. SO YEAH, IT’S GOING TO GET BRIGHT EARLY. AND WE DO HAVE SOME DECREASING CLOUDS TO SEE THIS MORNING. YOU CAN SEE LOW PRESSURE CRANKING UP ACROSS THE NORTHEAST. THAT IS GIVING US THIS NORTHWESTERLY BREEZE. IT WAS BREEZY YESTERDAY. IT WILL BE BREEZY AGAIN TODAY. AND NOTICE THE CLOUDS ARE TRYING TO BREAK UP JUST A LITTLE BIT. I DO THINK WE SEE THAT MIX OF CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. TODAY, 48 DEGREES IN LEWISTOWN, 51 IN HARRISBURG. IT’S 49 CURRENTLY IN LANCASTER. OUT THE DOOR IN YORK, A MILD START AT 50. WIND SPEEDS TODAY. THERE’S YOUR DOUBLE DIGITS. WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING THIS NORTHWESTERLY BREEZE AT ABOUT 10 TO 20MPH, MUCH LIKE WE SAW YESTERDAY. SO WHAT TO WEAR FORECAST FOR TODAY. MAYBE A LIGHT JACKET THIS MORNING. WITH THOSE TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S. LATER ON IT WILL BE BREEZY AND MILD. WARMER THAN YESTERDAY WITH HIGHS ABOUT TEN DEGREES WARMER THAN WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY. SO WE’RE CLIMBING AND WE CONTINUE TO CLIMB THIS WEEKEND. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS WEEKEND FORECAST. WE HAVE 80 DEGREES ON SATURDAY. MOSTLY SUNNY TO START THEN INCREASING AFTERNOON EVENING CLOUDS. THERE MAY BE A STRAY SHOWER LATE SATURDAY OR SATURDAY NIGHT. FOR SUNDAY, IT’S 84 DEGREES FOR PARTLY SUNNY SKIES, MAYBE A FEW SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS LATER IN THE DAY. BUT REALLY, MOST OF YOUR WEEKEND IS GOING TO BE DRY AND QUITE A BIT WARMER THAN WHAT WE’VE SEEN THIS WEEK. WE’LL TALK ABOUT THOSE 90S EARLY NEXT WEEK. COMING UP. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, CHRISTINE. NICE DAY TO HEAD OUTSIDE TODAY AND THIS WEEKEND AS WELL. THE 54TH ANNUAL GREEK FEST STARTS TODAY ON THE WEST SHORE. YOU CAN GET YOUR FILL OF GREEK FOOD AND THE MUSIC AND CULTURE TOO. YEAH, MAYBE YOU’RE HUNGRY ALREADY. GREEK FOOD FOR BREAKFAST. WHY NOT? NEWS 8 GABRIEL THOMAS IS JOINING US LIVE THIS MORNING TO TELL US ABOUT GREEK FEST AND ALL OF THE FOOD THAT THEY’RE COOKING UP THERE IN THE KITCHEN RIGHT NOW. GABRIELLE. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, MATT KATELYN OR SHOULD I SAY OPA. GREEK FEST IS UNDERWAY HERE AT THE HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL. IT’S EARLY, BUT LOOK AT THIS TASTY FOOD. WE HAVE PARISHIONER AND TOP CHEF MICHAEL WARD JOINING US THIS MORNING. WHAT IS THIS FOOD? AND YOU’VE BEEN UP EARLY COOKING THIS. WHAT’S IN IT? IT’S WE GOT A COUPLE DISHES HERE THAT WE OFFER IN OUR A LA CARTE LINE. I GUESS WE’LL START WITH LAMB. THAT’S ONE OF THE FAVORITES OF EVERYBODY’S. IT’S JUST A SHANK OF LAMB TOPPED WITH OUR OPEN SOURCE. IT’S MADE HERE JUST IN OUR PARISH. FOLLOWED UP WITH GREEK LASAGNA. IT’S A. IT’S A BAKED ZITI WITH A BÉCHAMEL SAUCE ON TOP. AND THEN WE’LL MOVE OVER TO ITS, LET’S SAY, COUSIN MOUSSAKA, WHICH IS A EGGPLANT INSTEAD OF THE THE ZITI. WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT GREEK CULTURE, ESPECIALLY THE FOOD AND ALL THE TASTY TREATS? I CAN’T WAIT TO TASTE THOSE PASTRIES. OH, WE LOVE SHARING OUR CULTURE. WE’RE WARM. WELCOMING. JUST COME ON OUT AND AND SEE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE GREEK. BE GREEK FOR A DAY WEEKEND. YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. WE’RE HERE ISN’T JUST ALL ABOUT TASTY FOOD AND EXPERIENCES. YOU GUYS ALSO DONATE A PERCENTAGE OF THE MONEY TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND IT GOES BACK INTO THE CHURCH. CORRECT? WE DONATE TO TO SOME OF THE AREA COMMUNITY CHARITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP OUT A LITTLE BIT. MICHAEL. THANK YOU. WELL, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME OUT TO GREEK FEST, YOU ALREADY SAW THAT TASTY FOOD. I’LL BE SHOWING YOU SOME MORE STUFF THROUGHOUT THE SHOW THIS MORNING. YOU CAN DO SO UP UNTIL SUNDAY. THAT IS THE 18TH. I’LL HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION ON MY FACEBOOK.
Pa. bike deaths spiking | York County shop raises awareness
Zech says safety starts before riders even get on the road.
Updated: 1:55 PM EDT May 15, 2026
Bicyclist deaths are rising across Pennsylvania, and one York County bike shop owner says both drivers and riders need to do more to stay safe on the roads.Video above: Top stories from WGAL News 8.According to PennDOT, bicyclist fatalities increased from 19 in 2024 to 28 last year. Officials say 14 of those riders were not wearing helmets. The rise in crashes has sparked concern among cycling advocates, including Jay Zech, owner of Gung Ho Bikes in York County.Zech says safety starts before riders even get on the road. He encourages bicyclists to always wear a helmet, use flashing lights on their bikes, and wear bright or reflective clothing to help drivers see them, especially during early morning or nighttime rides.The increase in fatalities also comes as more people use e-bikes, which can travel at higher speeds. PennDOT says 12 bicyclists killed last year were riding e-bikes. Zech says while biking continues to grow in popularity, awareness and visibility remain critical for preventing crashes.Pennsylvania law also requires drivers to leave at least 4ft of space when passing a bicyclist on the road. Zech mentioned that both cyclists and motorists share responsibility when it comes to safety and hopes more conversations about bike awareness can help save lives.
YORK COUNTY, Pa. —
Bicyclist deaths are rising across Pennsylvania, and one York County bike shop owner says both drivers and riders need to do more to stay safe on the roads.
Video above: Top stories from WGAL News 8.
According to PennDOT, bicyclist fatalities increased from 19 in 2024 to 28 last year. Officials say 14 of those riders were not wearing helmets.
The rise in crashes has sparked concern among cycling advocates, including Jay Zech, owner of Gung Ho Bikes in York County.
Zech says safety starts before riders even get on the road. He encourages bicyclists to always wear a helmet, use flashing lights on their bikes, and wear bright or reflective clothing to help drivers see them, especially during early morning or nighttime rides.
The increase in fatalities also comes as more people use e-bikes, which can travel at higher speeds.
PennDOT says 12 bicyclists killed last year were riding e-bikes. Zech says while biking continues to grow in popularity, awareness and visibility remain critical for preventing crashes.
Pennsylvania law also requires drivers to leave at least 4ft of space when passing a bicyclist on the road.
Zech mentioned that both cyclists and motorists share responsibility when it comes to safety and hopes more conversations about bike awareness can help save lives.