4 hurt when car crashes into historic West Overton building

Four motorists were injured when a Kia crossover utility vehicle crashed into the historic Abraham Overholt Homestead on Tuesday evening in East Huntingdon.

East Huntingdon Fire Chief Brian Kite said one of the occupants was airlifted to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh. The three others were taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

The wreck, which was reported just after 6 p.m., didn’t involve any portions of the brick building where tours are offered, according to Jessica Kadie-Barclay, CEO of West Overton Village and Museum. The car struck the foundation on the back side of the building.

The village includes several buildings from a pioneering distillery and the 1838 Overholt building.

“It’s not the area of interpretation that was impacted” she said. “This is just a structural issue. As soon as we inform the board and connect up with the historic preservation groups that we’re a part of, we’ll have a better understanding of what we need to do to move forward.”

She said her chief concerns were for the safety of the motorists as well as the building.

The car apparently descended a grassy hill, crashing through a wooden fence, before wrecking into the foundation of the Overholt building. A wrecker towed the Kia away.

The building, which normally is available for tours, has been closed to the public during the coronavirus pandemic.

Overholt was the grandfather of Pittsburgh industrialist Henry Clay Frick.

State police are investigating the crash. Details of the motorists and their conditions weren’t immediately available.