Traffic Concern Highlights Township Meeting

Manor Township supervisors unanimously agreed last night at their regular meeting to request a traffic study by PennDOT District 10 engineers at the 'Riverside Intersection' that connects Route 66 and 128 due to a fatal car crash there last month.

by Jonathan Weaver

A fatal car accident at a busy Manor Township intersection is causing township supervisors to contact the State.

Township supervisors unanimously approved to send a letter to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 10 office in Indiana, Pa. requesting a traffic study be done by their engineers at the ‘Riverside Intersection’ (named due to the Riverside supermarket near the intersection of Route 66 and 128).

Supervisor Paul Rearick has discussed the notion with Lt. Thomas Dubovi at the state police barracks in Kittanning and suggested changes be made to increase safety.

“I timed the yellow light – the time it takes to go from green to yellow to red – and it’s 3.8 seconds, which seems like a really short time to me,” Rearick said. “However, Jill was speaking to someone from PennDOT the other day, and they said for a 45-mile per hour zone it should only be three seconds, which I think is just ridiculous.

“If you’re coming down that hill 45-mile per hour, you almost have to stand on your brakes to get stopped depending where you are,” Rearick added.

Rearick also suggested pushing the 45-mile per hour zone back to near Fairground Road toward Kittanning to help prevent future accidents.

“It seems like every crash there – even if not a fatality – with serious injuries,” Rearick said.

The study is in result of the death of Georgia Cornman, 66 of Kittanning, after she was killed while trying to make a left-hand turn onto Route 128 into Ford City.

Cornman was struck by a tri-axle truck traveling south and was not wearing her seatbelt. She was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy Coroner Al Thomas.

Supervisor Chair James McGinnis said that vehicles merging from the Judge Graff Bridge onto Route 66 could also provide possible accidents.

Rearick said that Lt. Dubovi considers the intersection as not ‘high fatality’ compared to others in the area.

“I agree with that, but usually the ones there are pretty bad,” Rearick said.

Township police officers have also requested a possible study be done at the Cadet Sheetz intersection on Route 422 East in the future.

PennDOT would conduct a free study, as opposed to hiring a traffic engineer.

Township residents also addressed concerns regarding better lighting at Blaney Road.

Supervisors Pat Fabian and Paul Rearick discuss the proposal. Rearick brought forth the issue and supervisors said a future traffic study could be requested at the Cadet Sheetz on Route 422.

Burnt Food to Blame for Highrise Smoke

Kittanning Hose Company #4 firefighters carry in a fan to ventilate smoke from an eighth-floor apartment in Garden Towers last night. A fire alarm inside caused many residents to call 9-1-1 requesting assistance evacuating for what turned out to be burnt food in a microwave.

by Jonathan Weaver

Fire engines lined South McKean Street last night to investigate a fire alarm in Garden Towers.

The high-rise apartment complex on South McKean Street across from the Armstrong County Health Center attracted firefighters from Kittanning Hose Company #1, 4 and 6, as well as onlooking neighbors and concerned residents.

According to Hose Company #1 Fire Chief Gene Stephens, burnt food in a microwave on the eighth floor set off alarms shortly after 5:30PM.

No residents required emergency transport.

The apartment is operated by the Armstrong County Housing Authority. The residents from Apartment 8M did not have to be moved.  

At first, Stephens said fire crews did not know the nature of the emergency.

“It was hard to know what was going on at first because Armstrong (9-1-1) received several calls from residents in the structure calling in saying that they needed assistance to get out,” Stephens said.

However, Stephens said firefighters were able to assist all those in-need and did a walkthrough of the structure after smoke was cleared.

“Everybody did a good job that came in and everybody went home safe,” Stephens said.

He explained why firefighters from across the borough were dispatched.

“All three companies were called on that because it was an active alarm in the high-rise. Our first dispatch is for all three town companies,” Stephens said.

Armstrong County Housing Authority Maintenance Superintendant Tom Leightley praised first-responders.

“Our fire departments are very good – they’re on-the-ball,” Leightley said. “Everything’s back to normal now.”

Firefighters left the scene at 6PM.

Aerial trucks from both Kittanning Hose Company #6 and #1 responded to Garden Towers yesterday for a reported fire alarm.