Last Saturday, shortly after police received calls describing a red Chevrolet Cavalier driving in an unpredictable manner down Route 119 in Youngwood, an accident occurred. The driver of the Chevrolet rear-ended a Jeep at Lowe Street. Immediately after the car accident the driver of the Chevrolet, a woman who was not wearing any pants, attempted to flee the scene, leaving her 7-year-old in the back seat. People living near the accident scene restrained the woman while waiting for the police to arrive.

The woman’s face was injured in the car accident requiring her to be airlifted to a hospital in Pittsburgh. Her daughter was not injured despite not having a seat belt on at the time of the crash. The girl is in the custody of Westmoreland County Children and Youth Services. No information was provided on the condition of the driver of the Jeep.

When asked, the driver did not indicate why she was not wearing pants or driving in an unpredictable manner. According to emergency responders, alcohol was found in the vehicle. One of the two bottles found on the driver’s side of the Chevrolet was empty. According to Youngwood fire Chief Lloyd Crago, “She wasn’t talking very well.”

It is expected that drivers will exercise “reasonable care under the circumstances.” When a driver does not do this, he or she is acting in a negligent manner. Should this negligence result in damage to another person or property, the driver may be held responsible for any damages. The driver of the Chevrolet may be liable for damage to the Jeep as well as for a fence that was damaged prior to the crash.

Source

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Pantsless woman left daughter in car after Youngwood crash, police say,” Paul Peirce, Aug. 16, 2011