MIDDLESEX TWP — At least three people were hurt in a two-vehicle crash late Sunday night on Route 8 near Kilgallen Road, authorities said.

Two of the injured were thrown out of a vehicle and one was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital. Another occupant had to be rescued through his car's sun roof. A dog also was apparently hurt in the accident.

Middlesex Township police are investigating, but an accident report was not immediately available and police did not return telephone calls this morning.

The wreck happened shortly after 10 p.m. when a pickup truck collided with a car, believed to be a Lexus.

“I heard what at first I thought was a gunshot,” said Susan Reagan, who lives with her husband and their son on Kilgallen Road near the crash. “It was so, so loud.”

She thought she heard two other noises. Her son was outside and yelled that it was an accident.

The family quickly made their way to the wreck to help. They came upon a large debris field south of the intersection. A Middlesex Township police officer was already there.

They saw a man and woman lying on the road near a pickup that was off the side of the road.

“I didn't see them move,” said Marshall Reagan, Susan's husband, referring to the two people on the road.

He said, in the intersection was a car and a man, possibly a rescue worker, was on top of the roof talking to at least one of the occupants inside.

Shortly afterward, a man inside was “pulled up through the sun roof,” Marshall Reagan said.

A dog was also “laying upright” in the intersection, said Susan Reagan. It was not immediately known if the dog was riding in one of the vehicles.

“Both vehicles were pretty much junk,” Marshall Reagan said.

The car had severe front-end damage and the truck had severe back-end damage.

A portion of the road was closed for nearly 4½ hours.

Penn Township police assisted and state police also later helped with accident reconstruction specialists.

Volunteer firefighters from Middlesex and Penn townships and a Quality Ambulance crew also helped.