Nearly 10 PA Fire Companies Battle House Blaze after Crash

Two women were flown via medical helicopter to a hospital before dawn Wednesday morning after a pickup truck crashed into a vacant Potter Township house and started a large fire.

State police at Rockview and nearly 10 fire companies from the Penns Valley, Nittany Valley and Centre regions responded about 12:15 a.m. Wednesday to the crash and blaze.

April Myers, 26, of State College, was driving southbound when the vehicle crashed into the house at 195 Old Fort Road. Her passenger was Haylee Hemphill, 22, Bellefonte, according to a news release.

Police did not say Wednesday why the vehicle left the road, or the severity of their injuries.

Jeremy Sarkissian, of Bellefonte, said he heard the crash while staying at a neighbor’s house. He and others ran over to the “surreal” scene and ran assisted the women who were calling out for help.

“I was just imagining if it was one of my daughters, or anybody for that matter. I couldn’t live with the fact that I could have prevented it from happening,” Sarkissian said. “There was a moment where I was thinking about stepping back because it was too dangerous, but that came and went so quickly because I wouldn’t been able to live with myself. It would haunt me for the rest of my life.”

He helped free both women from the truck, and emergency crews arrived shortly after to a “fully engulfed house,” the Centre Hall Volunteer Fire Company wrote in a Facebook posted. Heat damaged neighboring homes, police said.

Firefighters left the house about 3:30 a.m., but returned until about 6:30 a.m. after the fire rekindled, the fire company wrote.

Gregg Township, Boalsburg, Pleasant Gap, Millheim, Undine and Alpha fire companies also responded, along with Penns Valley EMS.

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