Witnesses: Man Whose SUV Plunged Over Hillside Was Driving Over 80 MPH
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CHURCHILL (KDKA) -- Witnesses say a man whose SUV plunged over a hillside in Churchill on Monday was driving over 80 mph just before the crash.
The crash happened Monday morning along I-376, heading east near the Rodi Road exit in Churchill.
According to state police, witnesses told police they saw 58-year-old Lamonte Oliver Lewis, of Pittsburgh, chasing or racing another vehicle on the Parkway East in an apparent road rage incident.
Witnesses said Lewis was driving aggressively and estimated he was traveling over 80 mph in a posted 55 mph zone. As he reached a left curve in the road, Lewis allegedly spun out of control, crossed three lanes of traffic, overturned then plummeted about 300 feet over a steep embankment.
Lewis was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Police say he managed to get out of the vehicle on his own, and fire department personnel found him laying beside the vehicle.
Firefighters pulled Lewis up a hillside in a stokes basket. He was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Lewis was the only person in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
State police say Lewis was charged with multiple vehicle code violations, including reckless driving, racing on highways and careless driving.
