CHARLEROI, Pa. — A man was rescued from a collapsed trench in Washington County.
PHOTOS: Rescuers work to free man from collapsed trench in Charleroi
Washington County dispatchers said emergency crews were called to the 800 block of McKean Avenue in Charleroi at 8:20 p.m. on Thursday.
Investigators said a man was working in a ditch there, but it collapsed and trapped him.
Initial reports indicated a gas line was struck. Columbia Gas has released information saying a third-party contractor was working in the area doing non-gas-related work.
The man was rescued from the trench around 2 a.m. and was taken to Allegheny General Hospital for evaluation.
Charleroi Fire Chief Robert Whiten Jr. said crews used an air hose to cut the dirt and a vacuum truck to suck out the loose dirt. A harness was placed on the man, and he was taken out, walking up a ladder on his own.
Whiten said the man may have a broken ankle, but he was in “good shape, good spirits.”
“I’ve been doing this for 48 years, and this is about the worst incident that I’ve been on, from fires to river rescues and that,” Whiten said. “Just getting everybody together and working as a team is just fabulous. Sure, there were some tense moments, keeping people back. You know, they are volunteers, everyone wanted to help. ... It was just a well-oiled machine, you know, in that area, and it paid off.”
Borough Manager Joe Manning said the victim had been working for a contractor hired by a local business for work on a sewer line. Manning said the contractor did not have a permit from the borough for the work. From the borough, the contractor needed a ‘Street Opening’ permit, according to Manning.
PennDOT also confirmed the property did not have the required ‘Highway Occupancy’ state permit required for any construction on a state road.
Both PennDOT and the Borough said this matter is under investigation.
Northbound Route 88 is closed to traffic between Eighth and Ninth streets in the borough, PennDOT officials say,
Traffic will be detoured to east Interstate 70, north Route 906, across the Charleroi Monessen Bridge and reenter north Route 88.
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