Firefighter Among Five Hurt in String of Pa. Crashes

Nov. 06--Five people were injured on Monday evening in a bizarre string of accidents set off by a deer.

Trooper Steve Limani said two women were traveling on Route 130 in Hempfield Township, near Jeannette, at about 7:30 p.m. when their car struck a deer.

The women, Jessica L. Doerr, 28, of Joliet, Ill., and Kirstie L. Koricich, 24, of Rostraver got out of the car near a Dairy Queen to examine the damage.

Limani said both women are hearing-impaired.

"Their vehicle didn't make it very far," Limani said.

A volunteer firefighter and his female passenger who were driving past the scene stopped to help the women, Limani said.

As Matthew D. Roach, 27, of Youngwood and Amanda M. Weightman, no age available, of Hempfield stood along Route 130 with the women assessing the damage, a third car approached.

Limani said the driver of that car "los(t) control as (he) swerves to miss the deer" lying on the road and struck three of the four people who were standing along the four-lane road.

The third car was driven by Sean P. Roche, 19, of Penn Township, according to a police report.

Doerr and Roach were seriously injured, Limani said. Doerr's condition could not be obtained through a check of Pittsburgh-area hospitals, but Limani said she was the most seriously injured.

Roach, a Youngwood volunteer firefighter, was undergoing surgery on Tuesday at Forbes Regional Hospital, said fire Chief Lloyd Crago. The good Samaritan role fits Roach, who suffered facial and hip injuries, and a broken nose and leg, according to Crago.

A West Penn Allegheny spokesperson did not return a call seeking information on his condition.

Koricich, Roche and his passenger, Melissa N. Gaertner, 19, all suffered minor injuries, according to the police report.

Renatta Signorini is a staff writer for Trib Total Media.

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