FRANKLIN PARK, Pa. — A Georgia man is facing charges after allegedly crashing a stolen car in Franklin Park and running from the scene.
Around 7 a.m. Monday, Pennsylvania State Police said a trooper saw a white SUV driving in an unsafe manner on I-79 South two miles north of the Wexford exit. The trooper started a pursuit but lost the vehicle.
A short time later, that same vehicle crashed in Franklin Park, taking out a homeowner’s tree in their front yard.
Pittsburgh police say the SUV was stolen from California Avenue.
“My neighbor knocked on my door, rang my doorbell and woke me up, and I opened the blinds and there was a vehicle leaning up against the tree there,” said John Hostert. He lives at the home that became the center of the police investigation.
Hostert said this is not the first time someone has crashed in his front yard.
“The tree on the other side of the driveway was taken out before so we’ve dealt with it before,” he said. “I wasn’t happy.”
Julie Dubis and her family were getting ready for work and school when they heard the crash.
“We heard a really loud screech and then kind of a bang,” she said. “Saw the car had run into the house behind us into a tree after my son said it was trying to cut off a couple cars here and then they actually saw the driver run into the woods across the way.”
Dubis said she was relieved to hear the driver was caught quickly.
“The Franklin Park police did a great job and took care of us really quickly,” she said.
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