1 killed, 2 injured when car slams into store
One person died and two others were injured, one critically, early Sunday morning when their car slammed into a convenience store on Route 8 in Middlesex Township, authorities said.
The crash at about 12:10 a.m. happened at the CoGo's a short distance from the homes of the car's occupants, all women, who reportedly were going to the store — which was already closed.
Kimberly Young, 39, the front-seat passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Butler County Coroner's Office. An autopsy later Sunday ruled the cause of death as “blunt force trauma to the trunk.” The death was listed as accidental.
The 36-year-old back-seat passenger was flown by medical helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh, Middlesex Township police said. Her injuries were described as critical
The 37-year-old driver, who was the only occupant in the car that emergency crews found conscious, was taken by ambulance to UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh with moderate injuries.
Police did not immediately release the names of the injured women. An officer about 5:30 p.m. Sunday said the department was still not releasing their identities.
State police accident reconstruction specialists are assisting township police in the investigation. Police would not speculate about what caused the crash. Routine toxicology reports are pending.
Police said when they got there the 2008 Kia Optima was inside the store. The car was totaled and the store badly damaged.The women are neighbors on nearby Dwellington Drive, police said. The car was traveling west on the road and crossed Route 8 before crashing into the store.“It went into the building, left of the door, through the bricks and front glass,” said Patrolman Bryan Costanzo. The front aisles were destroyed.There is a stop sign at the end of Dwellington Drive at Route 8, and police are investigating if the car stopped at the sign before crossing Route 8.A passing motorist, who called 911, told police he was traveling on Route 8 when he saw the car coming out of Dwellington Drive. He said he had to slam on his brakes to avoid colliding with the car, and saw the vehicle travel “completely into the store,” police said.The car at one point may have been airborne.Costanzo and another officer happened to be on patrol close by and were at the store within a minute.The officers found all three occupants still in the car. Both passengers were unresponsive. The driver was asking police for help.Police began medical treatment at the scene before ambulance crews arrived. A medical helicopter landed on Route 8 before flying the injured back seat passenger to the hospital.Both front and side air bags deployed. It was not immediately clear if the occupants were wearing seat belts.
