Man`s Arm, Legs Broken in Pennsylvania Accident
Jan. 17--CHAMBERSBURG -- A man was seriously injured Monday when he was hit by a car while pushing a bicycle across the intersection of Wayne and Coldbrook avenues in Chambersburg.
Emergency crews were called to the crash at 2:45 p.m., according to a dispatcher with Franklin County Emergency Services. A blue Honda Accord had apparently struck the man and his bicycle in front of The Cottage Pub and Restaurant, 572 Wayne Ave.
The dispatcher confirmed that the man was taken by ambulance to a helicopter landing zone in the parking lot of Kmart, 1005 Wayne Ave. He was then flown by Lifenet 8-1 to York Hospital.
Although the extent of his injuries was not immediately known, it was believed the man suffered two broken legs and a broken arm. He appeared to be conscious and alert by the time he was transferred to the helicopter, the dispatcher said.
Chambersburg Police officers were on scene, photographing the car with the bike still pinned under its front driver's side tire. The driver's side of the windshield was shattered and there were two dents on the front of the car's hood.
The bike's front tire was unattached, sitting in a grassy area several feet in front of the car. Nearby was a black backpack, various clothing items, a camouflage baseball cap and a pair of brown men's shoes with an opened pack of Marlboro Reds poking out of the left shoe.
Police had not issued a statement about the crash by 5 p.m. An officer at the police station confirmed that the injured man had been pushing his bicycle, not riding it. He said the department's Major Accident Reconstruction Team was still investigating the crash, and a statement would be released later.
No further information was available by press time Monday.
A man at the scene who identified himself as the car's driver said he had been headed toward downtown Chambersburg on Wayne Avenue, on his way to pick up his son. He said he was driving the speed limit and had a green light to go through the intersection when the crash happened.
"It was just a blink of an eye, man," he said, snapping his fingers. "It was just like that."
The driver, who did not provide his name to a reporter, was visibly upset and his hands were shaking. He said he had been trying to quit smoking, but was asking people for a cigarette after the crash happened.
"I'm worried about the guy," he said of the injured man. He said the man's injuries appeared serious, but added, "I'm not a doctor, though."
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Jim Tuttle can be reached at jtuttle@publicopinionnews.com or at 262-4754.
