Vehicles sustain heavy damage in Arnold crash

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Arnold, Pa. – Arnold Police Chief Rob Haus said there were no injuries to report or charges filed after single vehicle crash on Constitution Boulevard near Richmond Street just before 9:00 pm Wednesday evening.

On scene, a red in color 4 door Ford sedan struck a parked gray Silverado pickup truck just past the Richmond Street intersection. The impact was so forceful the right front wheel of the Ford was seperated from the vehicle with air bag deployment causing heavy damage to the windshield. The Silverado’s right front wheel was bent in quite a bit rendering the vehicle undriveable.

The Silverado was parked on the street and not the sidewalk.

Many residents along Constitution Boulevard who live in the City of Arnold had previously been parking on the sidewalk to gain extra space from cars traveling North on the street. On September 9th, the City of Arnold published a “Notice of Parking Violation” on Facebook to residents due to the increasing number of parking complaints received and the ongoing committment to the safety of residents.

The notice advised residents that vehicles may not be parked or abondoned on a sidewalk.

AKVMEDIA.COM went back to the scene to get more details on the width of the street that measures 24′ 6″. The average width of a car is about 5′ 8 ” (roughly 5 feet 10 inches, or 69 to 70 inches) excluding side mirrors. When you include side mirrors, the overall width typically increases by another 6 to 10 inches. One vehicle on the street measured up exactly 6′ wide excluding the mirrors and was not parked right at the curb, but approximately 2-3″ from the curb.

When 3 vehicles are placed side by side on the street, and as close as they can be without touching, that accounts for a minimum of 18′ + inches of width leaving approximately 6′ 1/2″ of clearance. Some vehicle on the streets had their mirrors turned in.

When two approaching vehicles encounter a parked vehicle at the curb, both drivers must slow down considerably to avoid hitting each other or a parked car/truck. There is not much room for error in this scenario, but is passable with minimal room and safe driving.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Arnold Police was assisted at the scene by Arnold Fire Department and New Kensington EMS.