JEFFERSON TWP — Investigators believe a woman may have hit the gas pedal instead of the brake or suffered a momentary medical issue Friday morning when she plowed her vehicle into the front of a hair salon, killing a customer.

State police said they expect no charges would be filed in the 11:30 a.m. crash at Scissor Heaven hairstyling and tanning salon at 732 N. Pike Road, just south of the entrance to Laura Doerr Park.

“This happened to be an unfortunate accident,” Trooper Joe Zandarski said this morning.

Carol Peters, 74, of Butler was driving a 2008 Subaru Forester to her appointment at the salon when the vehicle struck a large window in the front of the building.

Janet Huth, 67, of Cabot happened to be seated in the path of the sport utility vehicle. She was hit and killed.

Butler County Coroner William Young III said Huth was pronounced dead at the scene of blunt force trauma. Rescuers said she was pinned between the SUV and a half-wall just inside the front door.

Jeff Gavin, 59, of Butler, who was seated near Huth while waiting for his wife who was getting her hair done, was injured from flying dry wall knocked loose during the crash.

Gavin was treated at Butler Memorial Hospital for minor injuries. Peters was not injured but was taken to BMH to be checked out, authorities said.

Alcohol or drugs were not believed to be involved, but Peters was given a routine toxicology blood draw at the hospital. Results will not be known for several weeks.

“We believe what happened was a misstep of the pedals or (Peters) may have passed out for a brief time,” Zandarski said.