Local News

Car Slams Into North Side Homes, Prompts Evacuations

June 30, 2014 / 6:29 AM EDT / CBS Pittsburgh

NORTH SIDE (KDKA)- One woman is facing charges after a car slammed into several homes on the North Side early Monday morning.

According to police, the driver lost control and hit several porches in the 1500-block of Federal Street around 3:10 a.m.

"I was awakened this morning by a crunch, looked out the window, didn't see anything, went back to bed, and then, I saw some flashing lights," Lee Bannister said.

Police arrived on the scene and quickly discovered what had happened.

In addition to hitting at least two front porches, the vehicle also sheared off a natural gas meter.

One woman in the car was taken into custody.

"People just need to slow down in the posted zone before they kill someone, their lives will be changed, the lives of the person killed and their family will forever be changed," Bannister said.

People living in four homes in the area were evacuated as a precaution. They were allowed back in after Equitable Gas crews repaired the meter.

City officials determined that the homes were safe.

In the meantime, neighbors said they are fed up with people causing problems in their community.

They said drivers speed and ignore traffic signs all the time and that this is actually the third time a home along that stretch of Federal Street has been hit by a car.

"Lucky that no one's been killed, with three cars being into houses. A lot of small children, a lot of redevelopment, we're just very fortunate that none of our neighbors [have] been harmed yet," Bannister said.

There is no word on what charges the driver of the car will face.

In terms of safety in the neighborhood, a neighbor said he took a picture of the scene and sent it directly to Mayor Bill Peduto and the Director of Public Safety.