Vehicle lands on roof of Greenfield Giant Eagle
An SUV careening down Greenfield Avenue toward Windsor Street on Tuesday ended up on the roof of the Murray Avenue Giant Eagle in Greenfield.
“I heard a boom and thought, ‘What the ... was that?' ” said Ron Mountin, 67, who lives at the corner of Windsor and Greenfield. “I thought my chimney fell over.”
The Kia Sorento kept going when it reached the intersection, driving over the sidewalk, into a yard, between two trees and over a small gap onto the store's roof, police said.
“I opened my bedroom window and said, ‘That's a car on the roof,' ” Mountin said. “So I shut the bedroom window, got dressed and went outside.”
He said the driver was out of the vehicle and walking around near it.
Emily Schaffer, a police spokeswoman, said the Kia was the only vehicle involved, and the 42-year-old driver was the only occupant.
He was not injured, she said. His name has not been released.
She said police were interviewing the man about what happened and were looking into the possibility that he swerved to avoid another vehicle.
“They're still working on the logistics,” she said.
Deputy fire Chief Michael Mullen said the vehicle's fuel line was ruptured during the crash. The impact tore the waterproof membrane on the roof, and gas and oil from the SUV leaked into the store.
Mullen said the grocery store was evacuated as a precaution.
A message posted on Giant Eagle's Twitter account expressed gratitude that no employees or customers were injured. The store reopened about 5 p.m.
Because of the gap between the roof and the ground, emergency crews had to use a flatbed truck with a crane to hoist the car off the roof.
Mountin said he has lived at the intersection for about 13 years and numerous vehicles have struck the tree and pole in his yard. But this is the first time a vehicle has made it onto the store's roof.
“They come down this avenue flying,” he said.
He said something should be done before a vehicle ends up hitting the house.
“An overhead sign that says, ‘Slow the hell down,' ” he suggested.
Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8519 or mguza@tribweb.com.
