Vehicle Crashes Into Penn Hills Dairy Queen, Multiple Injuries Reported
PENN HILLS (KDKA) - A pickup truck towing landscaping equipment on a large trailer attached to the back crashed into a Dairy Queen restaurant in Penn Hills this afternoon, leaving several people injured and a gaping hole in the business.
According to emergency dispatchers, the incident happened in the 4200-block of Verona Road around 2:30 p.m.
"I thought it was an explosion," said Madeline McCaskill, a witness. "When I turned around, I saw the truck run into the back of the Dairy Queen."
Watch raw video of the scene from NewsChopper 2:
Click here to view of photo gallery of the damage.
There were initial worries about the truck hitting a gas line, but no gas leak was reported.
Early reports indicate that five people were injured in the accident.
The most seriously injured was the driver of the truck. He was taken to a local hospital, reportedly with bleeding from the head and rib injuries.
Two employees were working inside the business, and three other people were in the truck that crashed.
All four people in the truck were hurt and taken to local hospitals for treatment.
Bystanders waiting to get ice cream helped the injured.
One girl pulled a female employee of the Dairy Queen out of the damaged business.
"We felt the ground shake. And the car… I guess the truck had ran them through there, so we had to pull her out the window and someone went to go get the owner, Carol, out from the other side," said one girl who saw the crash.
None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.
The woman who runs a daycare across the street from the restaurant witnessed the accident. She tells KDKA the truck appeared to stall on the road a short distance from the Dairy Queen, the driver was unable to brake, the vehicle then blew through a barrier and then plowed into the business.
"The guy is a landscaper, so all his equipment was on the back of the truck. Obviously, it seems as though the back of the truck lost power or something and the driver couldn't stop it," said McCaskill. "Because of the heavy equipment on the back, he couldn't even put the emergency brake on or anything."
Traffic is now moving again on Verona Road.
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