White Oak van crash from early Friday morning was the second time this week the driver hit a building
It was a scary scene overnight in White Oak when a minivan drove off of the road and into the roof of a building. It happened just before 5:30 a.m. near Senate Street and Park Way with witnesses telling KDKA they could not believe what they were seeing.
Witnesses described seeing the car, which was being driven by a 72-year-old man, speed up ahead of the crash. He was trapped in the van and people nearby helped keep him calm while they waited for first responders.
"He said he was stuck in there, he couldn't breathe," said Chris Manning.
However, that's not the end of the story.
It's the second time a vehicle went into a building this week, and it was the same driver.
Debris from James Hays' home still sits in his backyard after a neighbor lost control of his car and struck his house earlier this week on Dome Street.
"Bad brakes, they did a forensic thing on his car, and they said the brakes weren't even touching the drums or anything," Hays said.
You can imagine his surprise when he heard the following this morning, a man over the hill onto another roof and smashed it up.
According to investigators, the unidentified 72-year-old man was on his way to a dialysis appointment when the crash happened. The vehicle lodged itself in he roof of a building that houses restored antique vehicles.
"The police came by when we were sitting here and said it was the same guy that hit my house," Hays recalled.
It took roughly 30 minutes to extricate the victim from the car in the roof.
"They're our neighbors, and they're our friends," Hays said. "I hope he's okay, I understand he broke his arm."
Hays declined to identify the man but said he and his family are praying for his recovery and hold no ill will toward him.
The man who owns the building damaged in this latest crash declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the victim was taken to the hospital and his condition is unknown. Police are considering what, if any, charges will be filed.
