JEFFERSON TWP — A medical helicopter flew one person to a Pittsburgh hospital this morning following a two-vehicle collision at Route 356 and Great Belt Road, authorities said.

Investigators suspect the crash occurred just before 5 a.m. when one of the driver ran a stop sign.

The crash was so violent, emergency crews said, that it ripped the engine from one of the vehicles and it ended up on the road

The injured man, believed to be in his early- to mid-50s, was conscious and talking to emergency crews immediately after the wreck, said Capt. Mike Kirchlich of the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company. The extent of his injuries was not known.

State police are investigating but an accident report was not immediately available.

Authorities said the injured man was driving a Jeep Cherokee south on Route 356 when the unidentified driver of a Volkswagen Jetta failed to stop at stop sign at the intersection while westbound on Great Belt Road.

The Volkswagen T-boned the Jeep, hitting it on the driver’s side. The collision rolled the Jeep onto its side. Both vehicles were badly damaged.

“The (Volkswagen) motor was laying on the road,” Kirchlich said.

The driver of the Jeep managed to get out on his own. A 911 call reported the man was on the ground.

The other driver was out of his car and walking around when crews got there.

A STAT MedEvac helicopter landed in a field near the intersection. A Saxonburg Ambulance crew tended to the injured man before he was driven to the helicopter.

The crash closed the road to all traffic for about a half-hour.