Driver injured as car crashes into Hempfield auto dealership

The business day ended earlier than expected Thursday afternoon when an SUV crashed into the office of Pinnacle Auto Sales in Hempfield.

The driver and sole occupant of the SUV was taken by ambulance for treatment at a hospital, firefighters said.

There were no other injuries in the crash reported shortly after 4:30 p.m., but there was significant structural damage to the used car dealership along eastbound Route 30.

“We’ve had a tractor-trailer knock down some of our poles, but never a car hitting the front of the store before,” said Kenneth Moore, an owner of the dealership.

Moore said the Honda CR-V apparently traveled across Route 30 from Pennsylvania Boulevard — which intersects the highway’s westbound lanes in adjacent Jeannette — and crashed through the entrance at the eastern end of the sales office. He said the man behind the wheel may have had a medical emergency.

State police are investigating the crash.

“The front entrance is wiped out and all the glass associated with it,” Moore said as firefighters worked to shore up the damaged building.

None of the cars for sale on the lot were struck, and there were no customers on hand when the crash happened less than 90 minutes before the normal 6 p.m. close of business, Moore said.

There were no injuries to anyone inside the building, he said, including three employees who were in the sales office.

“The title clerk and I were in a different office when the car went through the building,” Moore said.

Damaged portions of the building include a storage area and a hallway.

“We can’t get to the basement now because the hallway is completely collapsed,” he said.

Dan Thoma, an assistant chief with the Hempfield Township Fire Department, said a firefighter who is also a structural engineer recommended placing wooden posts to shore up the damaged section of the building before towing the car from the wreckage.

“We’re trying to prevent any further damage from happening,” Thoma said, as light rain grew into a downpour.

Adamsburg Fire Department provided the woodworking tools needed for the task.

The driver and the dealership both have insurance coverage, Moore said.

“It’s going to set us back business-wise,” he said of the crash.

He said sales operations may temporarily relocate to an adjacent building that includes storage and office space.