MIDDLESEX TWP — A two-vehicle wreck caused a tie-up for morning commuters today on Route 8 in the township.

“But luckily it happened before rush hour,” said Middlesex Township Patrolman Randy Davison.

The collision about 5:30 a.m. in front of the Northwest Savings Bank closed all but one lane of the busy highway for about an hour. One of the drivers suffered apparent minor injuries.

Police said the crash happened when Catherine Malewski, 61, of Middlesex Township pulled out of Central Drive and into the path of a tractor-trailer traveling north on Route 8.

“She was turning left to head south,” Davison said of Malewski.

Brian Wildman, 43, of Norwalk, Ohio, swerved his rig from the right lane to left lane and then to the turning lane but was unable to avoid hitting the woman’s 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, police said.

The right front corner of the 2004 Freightliner hit the car’s left front corner, The collision spun the car around. When it stopped, the car was facing south in the northbound lanes.

The tractor-trailer, which was loaded with food items en route to the Aldi’s facility in Clinton Township, ended up blocking both northbound lanes, the turning lane and the left southbound lane.

“Traffic was backed about for about a half-mile both ways,” Davison said.

Adams Township police and volunteer firefighters from Middlesex Township and Richland Township, from neighboring Allegheny County, assisted with traffic control and helped clean up the debris from the wreckage.

The car was totaled and the rig sustained a damaged axle, Davison said. Wreckers were called and towed away both vehicles.

The crash left Malewski with arm pain and a bump on the head, authorities said. Her husband arrived later and drove her to an unknown hospital.

Police said Malewski would be cited for an unspecified traffic violation.

The road was reopened to all traffic about 6:45 a.m.