Ice on a sunny, but cold afternoon apparently caused two accidents within 20 minutes in the Alle-Kiski Valley and numerous others across the region.
An Apollo man was driving down a small car down South Leechburg Hill in Allegheny Township at about 5:40 p.m. when he hit a patch of ice from runoff from the steep hillside.
“All of a sudden, I was sliding,” said Michael Smart, 43, of Old State Road, Kiski Township.
The Dodge Caliber he was driving missed a drainage pipe fed by a stream-like runoff that cascaded down the hillside.
It also stopped mere feet short of a raised, steel grating installed to protect a large stormwater drain.
It came to a stop on its passenger side across from West Leechburg Hill Road on the side of the heavily used South Leechburg Hill during rush hour.
Smart said he was able to climb out of the sideways car.
“Yeah, it was a nice car — it’s my mother-in-law’s,” he said. “I was delivering back to her.”
Smart wound up with a bump on his head, but he declined medical treatment, said Allegheny Township police Officer Todd Veselicky.
“It was the runoff on the road,” the officer said. A PennDOT salt truck arrived at about 6:15 p.m.
Ice was also blamed for a crash that caused a SUV to overturn on the top of Hancock Avenue near the Vandergrift Cemetery at about 5:20.
Vandergrift police are investigating.
Chuck Biedka is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chuck at 724-226-4711, cbiedka@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ChuckBiedka.
