Pennsylvania Fire Truck Crashes While Responding

Two men were killed in a violent crash on Route 22 in Derry Township Friday afternoon, while a Butler County family counted their blessings after walking away from a collision with a responding rescue vehicle less than a half-mile from the scene of the fatal accident.

State police at Kiski Valley said at about 2:45 p.m., Chad Maines, 26, of Hollidaysburg in Blair County, was driving east in a 2008 Mercury Milan in what was described as a "careless, unattentive manner." He lost control of his car just east of the road's intersection with Route 982 and crossed over into oncoming traffic, striking a 2002 GMC Safari minivan driven by Gerald A. Wilson, 63, of Scottdale.

Police said upon impact Maines's vehicle came to rest facing southeast in the center of the road. Wilson's Safari spun counter-clockwise before coming to rest on the north berm guardrail, also facing southeast.

Both men were trapped in their vehicles and had to be extricated with hydraulic equipment, police said.

A coroner's report was not available last night, but both men were pronounced dead at the scene.

Meanwhile, Roy and Diane Wagner of Cranberry were standing on a hillside above Route 22, just a half a mile west of where the fatal accident occurred, looking at their crumpled 2008 Dodge Nitro sport utility vehicle that collided with a New Alexandria Volunteer Fire Department Attack 2 emergency vehicle en route to the accident scene.

Upon impact the rescue truck, a 1999 Ford F550 that was heading east, traveled up a hillside on the westbound side of the highway. The crew in the emergency vehicle included Charles Ferry, 47, Shawn Buzzard, 24, and Nicholas Bartleba, 49, all of New Alexandria. One crew member, whose identity was not available, was transported by medical helicopter for treatment, police said.

"It happened so fast," said Diane Wagner, 44, as she clutched a box of bandages. "I was in the backseat chit-chatting with my friend and the next thing I know, I heard all this noise and we were spinning."

The Wagners, along with friend Brenda Osselborn, 44, of Cranberry, and her son, Russell Osselborn Jr., 20, were traveling to WyoTech Automotive Technology School near Blairsville to attend graduation exercises for their 20-year-old son, Roy Wagner IV.

"We called my son to tell him we were in an accident and he ran down here to see us. So, we missed his graduation, but so did he," she said.

Roy Wagner, 49, who suffered a laceration to his head, said he was making a U-turn to follow other motorists who were trying to avoid the crash scene ahead when the rescue vehicle struck his vehicle.

"I saw it at the last minute and I hit the brakes, so he just clipped me and spun us around," he said.

Diane Wagner said all four of the occupants in their car refused treatment.

-- Additional reporting by Paul Paterra

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