Residents of the Pittsburgh area know that when they are interacting with motor vehicles either via another automobile, motorcycle, bicycle or even on foot, it is important to pay attention to the surrounding traffic. Most however believe that they no longer need to worry about this sort of thing when they enter a building where motor vehicles are unwelcomed, such as a home. The occupants of an Erie home recently discovered that being in a home does not always mean that they are safe from a car accident.

One evening last week, the three individuals were in a home located on East Fourth Street when a Ford F-150 pickup truck drove into it. The pickup ran into the front of the house after first hitting a vehicle that was parked on the street.

Unbelievably, the three occupants of the house were not injured in the incident. Neither was the driver of the pickup. A woman who was riding with him was hurt however. She was transported to UPMC Hamot with a head injury she apparently sustained by hitting the windshield.

The man behind the wheel of the pickup indicated that the loss of control that caused the pickup to hit the objects was due to his passenger grabbing the steering wheel as he was driving. Nonetheless, the driver was arrested for suspicion of drunk driving.

This accident could have been much worse. Had the truck struck any of the individuals within the house or caused the structure to fall upon the occupants. If either of these had occurred the man could be facing more serious criminal charges and potentially civil personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits as well.

Source: The Erie Times-News, "Pickup truck crashes into east Erie home," May 23, 2012