Woman hurt, 2 toddlers safe after vehicle goes over steep hillside in Vandergrift

A woman was airlifted to a hospital Monday night, but her two toddler-age children were unhurt despite her vehicle crashing hundreds of feet down a steep hillside in Vandergrift, according to authorities.

The 35-year-old woman, whose name was not released, was traveling along 28th Street about 9:30 p.m. when she tried to make a left turn toward Lowell Street, according to police.

The woman told police the vehicle’s steering mechanism locked up, causing her to crash over the hillside. A mechanic will examine the vehicle to determine the condition of the steering system, police said.

The vehicle traveled between 250 and 300 feet over the hill before stopping when it hit two trees, according to Officer Joe Gray, who is investigating the crash.

Emergency responders from Vandergrift and Washington Township responded and used a rope system to ferry her up the hillside, Gray said.

The woman was alert but had suffered multiple injuries, Gray said. She was not wearing a seat belt, he said, but her two children, ages 3 and 4, were secured in car seats.