Police: Driver fell asleep at the wheel
PENN TWP — Two women were hurt in a three-vehicle crash Monday morning on Route 8, when one of the drivers admitted she fell asleep, police said.
The wreck backed up traffic for about a half-hour or so while emergency crews responded to treat the injured, clean debris off the road and remove the badly-damaged vehicles.
Arianna Espien, 19, of Pittsburgh and Denise Freehling, 57, of Kittanning were taken by ambulance to Butler Memorial Hospital following the crash about 8:40 a.m.
Penn Township police said Espien was headed south in the left lane when she apparently fell asleep.
Espien told police that she had just finished a class at Butler County Community College in neighboring Butler Township after working all night and was headed home, said officer Dennis Crawford.
Her Honda sedan veered across the center turning lane and struck Freehling's Buick Envision, which was traveling north in the left lane.
The teenager's car continued into the side of a triaxle truck that was northbound in the right lane.
The truck driver, Jeff Mowen, 66, of Valencia, was not injured. He said he tried but was unable to avoid the crash.
“It headed straight at me,” Mowen said of the Honda. Mowen said he immediately pulled over and called 911.
The Honda was so badly damaged that police could not immediately make out the model.“It's too mangled,” Crawford said.Espien suffered unknown injuries that were not believed to be serious. Freehling had what appeared to be minor injuries.“For the extent of damage to the vehicles,” Crawford said, “we're thankful there weren't more serious injuries.”All three drivers were wearing seat belts and both cars' air bags deployed. The cars had to be towed.The truck, owned by William J. Brown Trucking of Valencia, had minor damage and was driven from the scene. The truck was empty at the time of the wreck and Mowen was headed to Slippery Rock to pick up a load.
