3 injured in head-on collision
JEFFERSON TWP — Three people were seriously injured in a head-on crash Friday afternoon and flown to Pittsburgh hospitals.
Emergency responders were dispatched around 5 p.m. for a crash at the intersection of Route 356 and Bonniebrook Road.
Firefighters with the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company had to extricate Glenn and Shirley Robinson, who live nearby on Bonniebrook Road, from their Chevrolet S10, which landed on its side in the northbound lane of the road.
Shirley was believed to have suffered an injury to her pelvis. Glenn, who was driving, was pinned and likely had multiple leg fractures, Saxonburg Fire Chief Chris Ballina said.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, both were conscious in the vehicle and complaining of pain, which was actually an encouraging sign to paramedics, Ballina said.
The rescue crew had to first stabilize the vehicle so it would not tip over and then cut off the roof, which allowed them to free the woman.
She was rushed to a helicopter that had already landed, but the man took more work to get free.
“He was pinned from his knees down and was pretty much hanging by his seat belt,” Ballina said.
They cut off the driver's side door and used hydraulic tools to move the dashboard and get him out.
Two STAT Medevac and one Life Flight helicopters were dispatched and landed behind the Penn United building near the crash scene.
She was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and he was flown to Allegheny General Hospital.
The female driver of a GMC Terrain, whose name was not immediately available, was not entrapped, but had a hip injury and was also flown to UPMC Presbyterian, Ballina said.
State police at the scene said that the GMC SUV was driving southbound and the Chevrolet pickup truck was driving northbound, though it was unknown if the northbound vehicle was making a turn or what caused the accident.
The accident was still under investigation.
Butler EMS, Saxonburg Ambulance and Freeport Ambulance all assisted at the scene.
The road was closed and traffic sent on a detour for almost two hours.
