A 59-year-old man was critically injured Wednesday when his car crashed and burst into flames in Allegheny Township, police Chief Duane Fisher said.
The crash happened about 11:40 p.m. in the 4000 block of Leechburg Road.
Fisher said Richard Schmidt of East Pittsburgh was traveling south on the roadway, also known as Route 56, when for an unknown reason he drove off the road and struck two trees. The car came to rest against a tree in someone’s front yard.
“It hit the tree with significant force,” Fisher said. “It took down one small tree and came to rest after it collided against a second tree.”
Fisher said Schmidt’s 2008 Nissan sedan was on fire when officers arrived.
Police and firefighters were able to pull an unresponsive Schmidt from the car, and he was flown to UPMC Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment.
Fisher wouldn’t disclose the exact nature of Schmidt’s injuries but said they were “potentially life-threatening.”
He said police still are investigating the cause of the crash.
Fisher said Schmidt was the only person in the car.
