One person is dead and another was flown to a Pittsburgh-area hospital after a head-on collision between two vehicles tore through Chicora Road in Oakland Township Tuesday morning. Emergency crews reported that two people were trapped inside their vehicles following the crash, which closed a stretch of the roadway and backed up traffic for hours.
The crash happened in the 800 block of Chicora Road, about a quarter-mile west of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, according to butlerradio.com, which reported the collision occurred around 6 a.m. WPXI, however, reported that the crash occurred shortly after 6:30 a.m., and the discrepancy in timing has not been resolved. Separately, the Butler Eagle placed the collision in the area of 821 Chicora Road in Oakland Township.
It is not clear how the crash happened, but butlerradio.com reported that it was a head-on collision between the two vehicles. Butler County Coroner Korynne Young confirmed there was one fatality in the crash, the station reported, while the second person involved suffered serious injuries.
Helicopter Lands at Former School to Reach Trauma Center
A medical helicopter was called to the former Oakland Elementary School, where it picked up the injured survivor and flew them to a Pittsburgh trauma center, per the same account from butlerradio.com. The Butler Eagle reported that the patient was flown specifically to Allegheny General Hospital following the crash.
Emergency services reported that two people were trapped inside vehicles following the crash, according to the Butler Eagle. The severity of the entrapment underscores how violent the impact was, though the exact cause of the collision remains unknown.
Road Closures Snarled Traffic for Hours
The crash forced significant road closures across the area. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation closed Route 68 at Seven Hills Road because of the collision, the Butler Eagle reported, while a portion of Chicora Road itself was shut down for around two hours, according to butlerradio.com, delaying commuters during the morning rush.
The crash remains under investigation, WPXI reported. No additional details about the identities of those involved, the cause of the collision, or any potential citations have been released as the investigation continues.
