4 Injured, Power Knocked Out When Car Hits Utility Pole In Kennedy Twp.
KENNEDY TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Four people were injured when the car they were in crashed into a utility pole in Kennedy Township overnight.
The accident happened around 3 a.m. along Coraopolis Road.
Officials say the car was traveling down the road when it crashed into the pole, knocking out power to area residents.
"Damage to the pole is severe. Right now, they're just repairing the pole, they're not replacing it," said Kennedy Township Police Chief Anthony Bruni.
The four people in the vehicle were taken to Allegheny General Hospital.
Their names have not been released, but three were teenagers - 17-, 18- and 19-years-old - and the fourth was a 23-year-old passenger.
"There was actually a resident from Kennedy Township who was passing by and helped get some of the individuals out of the vehicle," said Chief Bruni.
An 18-year-old female suffered the worst injuries when she became trapped inside the car. She sustained back injuries.
"The one person remained in the vehicle until fire got there, who did end up having some back injuries," Chief Bruni said. "She was pinned under the dash of the car."
The cause of the crash is still unknown; however, police say they have talked to a witness.
The 19-year-old driver with a Georgia license plate had a flat tire and front end damage. So, a tow truck driver was following the vehicle home where he then planned to tow it for further repairs.
"Reports are from a tow truck driver that was following the vehicle that speed and erratic driving may have been a factor," said Chief Bruni. "We did interview him and got his statement."
The tow truck driver told KDKA's Heather Abraham that once they crossed the McKees Rocks Bridge, the teen's driving got progressively worse. The chief says they're looking into that and also told KDKA that there have been countless crashes along that same stretch of road.
"In my 23 years in my career here, there's been a lot of accidents on that road. There's been some fatalities. It's just the contour of the road and people tend to pick up speed going down that hill," Chief Bruni added. "We have a lot of severe accidents on that road."
Officials with Duquesne Light say approximately 900 customers were without service, but they expected to have it all restored by noon.
Kennedy Township Police plan to get a subpoena for the toxicology screens done on the driver at the hospital.
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