Police: Driver using cell phone causes wreck
SUMMIT TWP — Two people were taken to Butler Memorial Hospital Thursday afternoon suspected of suffering minor injuries after a recreational vehicle traveling east on Route 422 rear-ended a PennDOT tractor on its way to Armstrong County collided.
Police said the driver of the RV, identified this morning as David R. Sargent, 58, of Yoder, Colo., became distracted while looking at his cell phone shortly before the crash at about 1 p.m.
The accident pushed the PennDOT tractor into the concrete railing of a bridge along the road. The RV also swerved to the right and hit the bridge railing during the crash. Yoder, who was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries, was cited for careless driving, according to a state police news release.
The driver of the tractor, identified as Robert A. Aguglia II, 28, of Butler, was also taken to the hospital.
Police said the rear-end crash between the RV and the tractor, which was towing a brush cutter, spun the tractor counterclockwise. Both vehicles were disabled in the crash and had to be towed from the scene.
Traffic on the road was slowed significantly as state police investigated and local fire companies worked to clean up fluid spilled along the road. PennDOT officials were notified and police said they would inspect the bridge before it was fully reopened to traffic.
