Man's ear partially detached when he is struck, run over by utility van
State police said a man was seriously injured Saturday after a Jeannette woman hit him with a utility van, according to court papers.
Amanda M. Knerien, 34, called 911 and then drove the man to AHN Hempfield Hospital where she left him, authorities said. The man had head and face wounds and his ear was partially detached.
When troopers found Knerien at her home, she claimed to have dropped the man off at an apartment on Lenhart Avenue in Hempfield when she backed into him, according to court papers. But when troopers went to Lenhart Avenue, a witness reported seeing Knerien and the man arguing.
The man was getting out of the van’s passenger side around 1:30 p.m. when it accelerated backwards, hitting him with the open door and running him over a couple times, the witness told investigators.
The man was transferred to AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, police said. Knerien was lodged at the Westmoreland County Prison on $10,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 6.
Knerien is charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, simple assault, reckless endangerment and harassment. She did not have an attorney listed in online court records.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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