Five people were rushed to hospitals after police said an SUV driver drove through a red light on Route 56 at Hyde Park Road in Allegheny Township about noon Friday.
Township police said John Burkett, 68, of Indiana Hill Road in the township was driving alone on Route 56 toward the township building when he went through a light.
His Chevrolet Suburban hit another SUV and caused a chain-reaction crash, police Sgt. Dan Uncapher said.
Police said the Suburban first smashed into a 2017 Jeep Cherokee on Hyde Park Road driven by Karen Grantz, 59, of the township’s Manola Drive. Her passenger was Jayne Grantz, 21, of the same address.
Police said Burkett’s SUV continued and it encountered awaiting traffic on Hyde Park Road, across from the Allegheny Plaza shopping center. The Suburban hit a 2015 Dodge SUV, driven by Gary Martin, 65, of Angelina Drive, North Versailles, that was stopped at the traffic light, according to Uncapher. Martin’s wife, April Martin, 55, was a passenger.
The Durango was pushed into a Chevrolet Colorado pickup that was also stopped at the red light. That Chevy pickup was driven by Stephen Koenig, 48, of Hyde Park Road, of the township, police said.
Uncapher said Koenig refused EMS care at the scene, but all other drivers and passengers were taken to hospitals.
Burkett and the two Martins were taken to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville. He was the only one listed as a patient later in the afternoon.
Karen and Jayne Grantz were taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. Their conditions weren’t available Friday afternoon.
