Fire Hall, Vehicle Damaged by “Erratic” Driver

by Jonathan Weaver

State and local police forces collaborated to search for a Ford truck that damaged another vehicle and property in West Kittanning Borough yesterday evening.

West Kittanning Police Officer Chris Airgood confirmed that a white Ford Super Duty truck rear-ended a moving GMC truck near the intersection of Pine Hill Road and Sedwick Avenue and also crashed into the side of the borough fire hall along Arthur Street.

The GMC truck driver noticed the Ford truck driver driving “at a high rate of speed up Pine Hill Road, in an erratic manner” in his rear-view mirror, according to Officer Airgood.

Officer Airgood said late last night that there is a ‘person of interest’ in his investigation and that the vehicle – which had ‘severe’ front-end damage - was located in North Buffalo Township and has since been impounded.

Witnesses also collaborated that the vehicle “was traveling at a high rate of speed” before driving through stop signs and crashing into the fire hall about four blocks away.

First Assistant Chief Charlie Goldinger was the only person inside the fire hall during the crash, which he estimated occurred about 7:45PM. After he heard, he came out from the back and saw some of the vehicle through the side window.

“It shook the whole building,” Goldinger told Officer Airgood.

Goldinger – who was not injured in the crash - then called Fire Department Trustee Henry Mores – who lives about two blocks away along Arthur Street. Mores estimated the repairs will cost about $2,500, and require three new panels in addition to the inside wall.

The truck created a nearly four-and-a-half foot by six foot dent in the wall, directly under a horizontal support beam and near a pair of side entrance doors. Mores covered the outside wall last night with two pieces of plywood.

Mores and Goldinger were able to determine from the dirt piles at the scene that after the crash, the Ford truck did a U-turn along First Avenue.

There are no events scheduled to be held at the fire hall this weekend.

Officer Airgood thanked East Franklin Township police and Pennsylvania State Police officers for helping to look for the vehicle.

Police Captain Robert Gahagan was informed of the incident and will continue the investigation today.