Car Flips In 3-Car Collision On I-279
WEST VIEW (KDKA) -- A vehicle flipped in a three-car crash on Thursday.
It happened just before 9:30 a.m. along I-279 southbound near a construction site in West View.
It was the textbook definition of what PennDOT and the state police have worried about most with the Parkway North construction zone.
"A vehicle was driving too fast and wasn't able to brake, striking another vehicle in the rear," said Trooper Daniel Acklin, of state police.
It happened in the express lane of the construction zone.
"That's some scary stuff, that's for sure. Gets your heart racing," said Brian Pelegrinelli, a witness.
Pelegrinelli was in the next car behind the accident.
"Right there, on the jersey barrier is where the gentleman's car that flipped over hit on impact and rode up. You can see the tire mark riding up, flipped over and landed on the roof," he said.
Pelegrinelli says 38-year-old Michael Krznarik was trapped in his upside down Grand AM, but alert and talking while they awaited the first responders.
Margaret Beaver, 35, who was driving the VW Golf was not hurt and taken into custody, suspected of possibly driving under the influence. Witnesses say her driving was erratic prior to the crash.
"It is a very confined work area, you're in a very narrow in comparison to a normal highway, in a narrow area and there's not room for error," said PennDOT's Dan Cessna.
With the express lane blocked, the traffic quickly backed up to Interstate 79 as police worked to clear the log jam behind the accident.
"We had to get them turned around, using the emergency crossover to get them over into the local lanes here on the right," said Cessna.
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