SUV catches fire after crash near Butler secondary schools
BUTLER TWP — A dramatic rescue played out on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 30, on Fairground Hill Road, where the township safety director and two police officers pulled an unconscious man from his burning vehicle.
Lt. Matthew Pearson of the Butler Township Police said a silver SUV was heading east on Fairground Hill Road just south of the intersection at the entrances to Butler High and Butler Intermediate High schools, when he accelerated up a bank above City View Heights.
The SUV then struck a fenced-in People’s Natural Gas substation, went back down the bank, crossed the road and crashed into the bank on the south side of Fairground Hill Road.
As the investigation is ongoing, Pearson was not able to say on Wednesday if the crash into the substation caused the car to catch fire, or if it ignited due to impact.
He said Scott Frederick, the township’s public safety director, opened the door of the heavily burning SUV and cut the driver’s seat belt.
Township officers William Dobson and Rachel Dovidio then pulled the unconscious man from the vehicle and across the street to safety.
Butler Township Volunteer Fire District trucks and Butler Ambulance quickly arrived on the scene.
The man, who Pearson said was not a student of the nearby secondary schools, was rushed from the scene by Butler Ambulance and flown from Butler Memorial Hospital to West Penn Hospital, Pearson said.
He said the man suffered smoke inhalation, but he was not aware of the extent of any burns he may have suffered.
Neither the two officers nor the public safety director suffered injuries during the rescue, Pearson said.
He said a gas leak at the substation, caused by the accident, was quickly shut off by a crew from Peoples Natural Gas Co.
Families were notified that intermediate high school students will move to remote learning until Peoples Gas crews can repair the problem and the school can be heated.
The passenger compartment and front half of the SUV suffered heavy fire damage.
The tall fence surrounding the substation had obvious damage from the impact.
Crews had the scene cleared before the two schools’ dismissal times.
