Truck crashes into homes in Connellsville
The driver of a tractor-trailer lost control of his rig while descending a hill on Route 711 in Connellsville Township, late Monday afternoon. After loosing control and rolling over the truck struck and severely damaged two houses, two parked cars and sheared off four utility poles before coming to rest. According to officials at the scene it took firefighter about one half hour to free the driver from the wreckage. He was then flown to a Pittsburgh hospital by medical helicopter.
The driver of a tractor-trailer lost control of his rig while descending a hill on Route 711 in Connellsville Township, late Monday afternoon. The roadway was closed for several hours while the crash was investigated and the debris was cleared away.
John F. Brothers/HeraldStandard.com
The driver of a tractor-trailer lost control of his rig while descending a hill on Route 711 in Connellsville Township, late
Monday afternoon. After losing control and rolling over, the truck struck and severely damaged two houses, four parked cars and sheared off three utility poles before coming to rest.
The driver of a tractor-trailer lost control of his rig while descending a hill on Route 711 in Connellsville Township, late Monday afternoon. Firefighter Bob Lieberger surveys the damage after the driver was freed from the wreckage. The roadway was closed for several hours while the crash was investigated and the debris was cleared away.
CONNELLSVILLE –A tractor-trailer driver hauling lumber products lost control of his rig and crashed into two houses, three utility poles and four parked cars around 4:10 p.m. on Monday in the 1200 block of Route 711, Springfield Pike, said Connellsville Township Assistant Fire Chief Rob Leiberger.
“There was extensive damage to everything the truck hit,” he said.
State police are investigating the accident.
Leiberger said firefighters used hydraulic rescue tools for more than 25 minutes before they were able to get the trapped driver out of the 18-wheeler that was resting on the driver’s side along the side of the road. He said a helicopter took the driver to UPMC Presbyterian. Leiberger said he didn’t know the extent of the driver’s injuries and that no one else was injured in the accident.
Leiberger said five people — two adults and three children — were home when the truck crashed into their house. He said the pets in the house were not injured.
Leiberger said there was no one in the other house that the truck hit.
Traffic had to be routed away from the accident scene for more than 6 hours as emergency crews worked to clear the scene. Leiberger said the truck was traveling south on Springfield Pike when it rounded a sharp curve at the top of the hill. He said the truck was moving downhill as it struck the homes, cars and utility poles.
Richard Trump and Bill Herman watched West Penn Power crews work on electric lines high in the air that hung from a cracked and leaning utility pole which had its base seriously damaged by the accident. Trump lives less than 25 yards away from where the truck stopped by his neighbor’s house. He said he was coming home from work when firefighters were just arriving on the scene.
“I’m glad the truck didn’t hit my house,” said Trump, 50, of 1316 Springfield Pike. “I’m very relieved.”
Herman lives about a quarter-mile away on Rockridge Road.
“I heard the helicopter in the air, people started calling my house, so I just walked up to see what happened,” he said.
Police have not released the name of the driver.
In past years, those same houses have been hit by cars and trucks that were hauling coal and frozen fish. There is a warning sign at the top of the hill and the speed limit is 25 mph.
Herman, 66, said he has been driving a truck for about 48 years.
“That mountain has taken a toll on a lot of these drivers,” he said.
More than 35 firefighters hailing from Connellsville Township, New Haven Hose Company and Normalville volunteer fire departments responded to the accident. South Connellsville and Bullskin Township’s volunteer fire departments were on standby if needed.