Sep 17, 2018 2 min read

The driver of a truck that crashed in West Finley Township early Monday was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment, and the township fire chief was taken to Washington Hospital after being sickened by fumes at the scene.

West Finley fire Chief Steve Emery said the driver of the truck hauling sludge and grindings from a drilling site was coming down a steep hill about 3:30 a.m. in the 600 block of West Finley Road near Majorsville Road, about a half-mile from the fire station.

“He came down the hill, and it was on a real sharp bend,” Emery said. “He said the truck jumped its gear, and the truck went straight into a tree. And it is a good thing it did, because if it was not for the tree, the truck would have gone 100 to 150 feet over a hill.”

The driver was trapped in the cab of the truck, which was pinned against the tree. Emery said the material the truck was carrying was in the bed, with a covering on it. He said some of the material came loose and was crushing the cab.

Emery said firefighters treated the driver until an ambulance from Dallas, W.Va., arrived. The chief said he was on the radio with the 911 center when he became lightheaded and was also placed in the ambulance.

The truck driver was taken to a landing zone near Four Seasons and Majorsville roads and was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. Emery was placed in an Ambulance and Chair unit that also arrived at the scene. He was taken to Washington Hospital, where he was released after being checked.

Emery said the crash happened in an area where there have been several other truck crashes.

The Washington County Hazardous Material Team responded to clean up the area. The crash is being investigated by state police.