Tractor-trailer crashes, falls down hill in Donegal

A driver suffered minor injuries and was trapped in the cab of a tractor-trailer that tumbled over a hillside along Route 31 in Donegal Township Tuesday, according to Westmoreland County 911.

The crash on Route 31 near the intersection of Route 381 happened just after 9:20 a.m. No other vehicles were involved.

First responders freed the driver from the cab around 9:40 a.m. He was being treated at the scene by paramedics from Mutual Aid Ambulance before being taken to an undisclosed hospital.

Charles Schade who lives along Route 381 near the crash site said he was enjoying a quiet morning when the crash shook his house.

“I didn’t know what happened, but it was really loud. I came out and saw the truck over the hill and called 911 right away,” Schade said.

Nancy Simpson, who was with Schade, feared the home’s propane gas tank exploded.

“It shook everything,” she said.

Chestnut Ridge Volunteer Fire Department and others responded.

Authorities at the scene said the truck was descending Route 31 headed westbound from Somerset County toward Jones Mills, crashed through the metal guide rail and flipped over the hillside. The driver was removed from the cab on a backboard and carried to the ambulance, authorities said.

State police in Greensburg were investigating, but a report was not available.

The road remained open, according to 911.