Juveniles Hospitalized After Two-Vehicle Collision

Police, firefighters and emergency responders were dispatched to the crash and cleaned the area within a half hour yesterday on South Water Street in downtown Kittanning.

by Jonathan Weaver

Three juveniles were taken to a local hospital yesterday evening after a two-vehicle crash in Downtown Kittanning.

Hose Company #6 ambulance responders took three juveniles to ACMH to be checked out after being injured within an automobile injury along South Water Street.

Kittanning Police Officer Donald Blose did not know the severity of their injuries.

“At this time, I don’t know how severe their injuries were – I knew they were shook up and the ambulance felt they needed to be transported to the hospital,” Blose said. “They all were wearing seat belts or in child seats appropriately.”

A total of five other adults also within the two vehicles were reportedly not injured.

The incident occurred in front of API Auto Glass and Vocelli’s Pizza in the 100-block of South Water Street at approximately 5:45PM Thursday. Blose described the accident.

“The car was traveling north on South Water Street, the truck traveling south, but turning west to pull into the parking lot of API Auto Parts – actually was driving to pick up a pizza at Vocelli’s – and the vehicles collided in the lane as he was trying to enter the parking lot,” Blose said. “She claims she never saw him, he’s claiming somebody waived him on to go ahead.”

The truck, a black Dodge Ram 1500 4×4, was being driven by Bruno Kusiw, 64 of New Jersey. The car, a white Buick Skylark, was driven by Dawn Atkinson, 33 of Kittanning.

A citation is pending against Kusiw for not yielding the right-of-way to oncoming traffic upon further investigation.

Kittanning Hose Company #1 and West Kittanning firefighters also responded to the scene and assisted with damage clean-up.

Neither vehicle was towed from the scene – however, the truck was worked on by fire fighters to allow Kusiw’s truck to be driven from the scene. Atkinson declined to have the car towed – opting to have the vehicle removed independently - and was able to since it was not restricting traffic.

“The bumper was up against the tire, and they pulled the bumper off the tire to make it drivable so that he didn’t have to have it towed,” Blose said.

Crews were on-scene for approximately 30 minutes. The roadway was operational to motorists during clean-up.