Trending
A two-vehicle crash at 12th Street that closed down Main Street at approximately 11:40 a.m. resulted in one person being transported to WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital for treatment, according to Wheeling Police Spokesman Philip Stahl.
According to multiple eyewitnesses along Main Street, the two vehicles were traveling down the street, collided and overturned on their roofs. Stahl said there was entrapment with both of the vehicles, and both drivers were extracted from the inside of their cars.
One driver refused treatment, while the other was transported by the Wheeling Fire Department via ambulance to Wheeling Hospital to be treated for injuries.
According to Stahl, seven vehicles were involved in the crash. He said "two or three" vehicles were traveling along Main Street when the collision occurred while others were parked along the road.
The Wheeling Police Department Crash Reconstruction Team was on the scene approximately an hour after the crash to "try to put all the pieces together as to what happened," Stahl said.
"They're going to be looking at all sorts of factors, such as speed, nearby surveillance video, interviewing witnesses, interviewing drivers, and trying to figure out what happened here in downtown Wheeling this morning," Stahl said.
Stahl noted the WPD was "unsure" as of Wednesday which vehicle initially hit the other. Due to the WPD being "very early" into the crash investigation, Stahl said whether speeding was involved was still "under consideration."
"The Crash Reconstruction Team is looking into that [which car hit the other] right now," Stahl added. "They're doing measurements on the street, looking at skid marks and all sorts of evidence that would play into concluding what happened here today."
Stahl noted the response to the crash was "very quick" due to the Community-Wide September 11 Service of Remembrance occurring nearby at Heritage Port. WPD and WFD members in attendance at the ceremony were able to respond to the crash before the service began at noon.
"The fire department was able to just swing around the block and respond to this crash," Stahl said. "The police department was also very much nearby, so many wheeling police and fire department members worked together in this incident."
Stahl said it was "definitely a surprise" to see so many vehicles involved in the crash and to witness two vehicles flip over on Main Street.
An hour after the incident, the Crash Investigation Team was still collecting evidence surrounding the crash. Stahl estimated at approximately 12:30 P.M. that "hopefully by mid-afternoon," Main Street would be back open.