Elderly man suffers hypothermia after spending night in crashed SUV in Lower Burrell
An elderly man was suffering from hypothermia Tuesday morning after spending the night in his crashed SUV in Lower Burrell, a city deputy fire chief said.
The man told authorities he had been trapped in his vehicle in a ditch between Hill Crest Country Club and Hillcrest Drive since 5 p.m. Monday night, deputy fire Chief Scott Gloer said. He was spotted by a person walking a dog shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The man did not have a cellphone to call for help, Gloer said.
Temperatures overnight ranged from 5 to 10 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The name of the man, believed to be in his 80s, was not immediately available and Gloer said he did not know where he was from.
How his SUV got to where it was, in an area behind the houses on Hillcrest Drive, also is unclear. Police said they would review the country club’s surveillance cameras for clues, but did not immediately provide any other information.
The man was wearing winter clothing and said he ran his vehicle’s engine for a while for warmth, Gloer said.
The man was taken by ambulance to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Gloer said.
Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
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