Morning Roundup: Shaler officer and driver injured in head-on crash; gas leak in Collier

Kellen Stepler
Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023 7:32 a.m. | Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023 7:32 a.m.

Go Ad-Free Today!

WTAE-TV

Some roads in Collier Township closed following a gas leak Wednesday.

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Sept. 27:

Police officer and driver injured in head-on crash in Shaler

Two people, including a police officer, were taken to the hospital following a head-on crash early Wednesday in Shaler.

The crash occurred around 3:30 a.m., near Route 8 and Pennview Road.

Shaler police told Tribune-Review news partner WTAE-TV that a police officer was in his vehicle working a road construction detail when another car struck him head-on.

Both the officer and the driver were taken to the hospital to be evaluated for minor injuries, WTAE said.

Gas leak shuts down Collier roads

A gas leak led to the closure of some roads Wednesday morning in Collier Township.

The leak was reported at 1:30 a.m., according to WTAE. The 1200 block of Washington Pike near Vanadium Road was closed down completely. However, one lane in each direction later reopened.

Some were forced to evacuate their homes, WTAE reports.

It’s unclear how long the roads will be closed or how long repairs will take.

Residents petition to install traffic light at scene of deadly Dravosburg school van crash

A woman has created a petition calling for the installation of a traffic signal near the intersection where a school van and another car collided Sept. 20, killing a 15-year-old girl.

Jessica McCauley has started the petition for a traffic light at Richland Avenue and Fifth Street, two blocks from the crash site where Samantha Kalkbrenner was killed. Five people were injured in the crash, two of them critically.

Police said a Serra Catholic van was turning left onto Richland Avenue when it was struck by a car traveling north on Richland.

Dravosburg manager Brenda Honick told WTAE that the borough has also asked for a traffic study and barriers.

PennDOT said a traffic light is planned at the intersection as part of the Mon Fayette Expressway project, but Honick told WTAE that wouldn’t be in place until 2025.