Mass crash in Allegheny Township during charity motorcycle ride injures 8; 4 airlifted for treatment

Allegheny Township Police are investigating a mass motorcycle crash that resulted in four serious injuries Saturday afternoon.

Participants in the 11th annual Riding For The Cure, an event designed to raise funds for breast cancer treatment and related patient care, were making their way from the 11th Frame Bar & Grille near Butler in a large loop to The Beer Garden along Route 38 (Oneida Valley Road) in Petrolia, north of Butler, when someone lost control of their bike coming around a bend along White Cloud Road.

Initial reports from Oklahoma-Vandergrift C&S Ambulance supervisor Monica Stringer indicated about 30 motorcycles were caught in the pileup, which occurred about 1 p.m.

Four people were airlifted via medical helicopters to Pittsburgh trauma centers while four others were taken to hospitals via ambulance, Stringer said.

The ones flown were in critical to serious condition while those taken by ambulance had less severe injuries, Stringer said.

Township Police Chief Duane Fisher said Saturday evening that responders were dispatched for a 30-motorcycle pileup, but the investigation determined eight to 10 bikes were directly involved, with none of the riders crashing into each other.

Rider Lee Montgomery of Butler said he got caught up in the crash but escaped injury. His son, Lee Montgomery Jr., was one of those flown for treatment. He said his son “got banged up” but is expected to recover.

“Some guy on a Suzuki went down first, got up and left,” Montgomery said. “He put his bike down there, which started the chain reaction. Then there were four (bikes), then 10 bikes down at least. No one got me. I was in it, but I didn’t get hit.

“Bikes were sliding down the hill.”

Fisher confirmed a rider had “under-compensated” for the blind turn and put his bike down on the roadway. That rider left the scene with other riders, according to the chief.

Fisher said other riders immediately behind him had put their bikes down or went over a hillside in an effort to avoid the fallen motorcycle.

The rider who initially crashed was later located and refused medical treatment, the chief said.

Fisher said no charges are pending, but the investigation is ongoing.

“We’re working with the event organizers to determine who belongs to what bike, how many people they had, and if anyone has showed up elsewhere for treatment,” Fisher said.

Fisher said only some of the eight people who were hurt wore helmets. One one of the eight injured initially thought to have been taken by ambulance was found to have been transported by private means.

The chief encouraged motorcycle riders to wear helmets and appropriate protective gear when riding.

A woman who identified herself only as Deborah, a board member with Riding For The Cure, said organizers were gathering information about the incident.

About 230 riders were said to have been participating in this year’s ride.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that was involved in the accident and everyone that continued with the ride,” said Deborah, who declined to give her last name.

Event organizers via Facebook disputed the medic’s report that 30 motorcycles were involved in the wreck, saying it was less than that, and other riders had stopped to help the injured.

Fisher said his department was not contacted by the event organizers ahead of time, and they would have advised on another route had that communication occurred.

White Cloud Road is part of a detour around major construction taking place on Route 356.

“You have a lot of blind curves, and with all the other vehicle traffic, we would not have chosen that (route),” the chief said. “We would not have recommended that as a first choice for a motorcycle event.”

White Cloud Road was reopened about 3 p.m.