1 hurt when wires fall after Hempfield vehicle crash

One person was hurt Monday morning after a crash on Penn Adamsburg Road in Hempfield, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher.

The person was taken by ambulance to an area hospital after live wires came down on the vehicle just before 8 a.m.

Nearby resident Paul Berginc said he noticed his lights flickering and then vehicles backing down the hill in front of his home just over the border from Penn Borough. He ran up the hill about 100 yards and said it appeared the vehicle became wedged against a utility pole.

Fire extinguishers were being used on the vehicle, he said. It was unclear what kind of injuries the victim sustained.

“If the fuel line would’ve burst … it would’ve been done,” Berginc said.

Electricity service was affected for about 100 people. West Penn Power estimated electricity would be restored by 11:30 a.m.

Drivers who are involved in a crash that pulls down live wires onto a vehicle should stay inside until first responders arrive and assess the situation, First Energy spokesman Todd Meyers said. Stepping out with one foot can result in injury or death.

“As long as you’re in the car, the insulation from the tires — they’re grounded,” he said. “You cannot have one foot in the car and one foot on the ground at the same time.”

If the vehicle is on fire or there’s some other reason to exit immediately, drivers should jump with both feet and shuffle away, Meyers said.

“That’s your best chance not to be shocked,” he said.