2 injured when car plunges 400 feet down hillside

KISKI TOWNSHIP, Pa. — After two volunteer firefighters crashed 300 feet over a hillside in a pickup truck on Monday morning, they called police by radio because they couldn’t find their phones.

If it hadn’t been for that radio, says the Kiski Township police chief, first responders may never have found them.

"One was injured pretty good,” said Chief Jerrod Thompson. “The other one, he was just more concerned about his friend."

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The Ford F-150 pickup truck was completely wrecked after falling hundreds of feet off a cliff along Glorietta Hill Road.

"I probably went up and down that hill four or five times during the whole incident," Thompson said.

Thompson was the first person to get to the scene after the call came across his radio from the two men, one of whom happened to be Kiski Township fire Chief Rich Frain.

Officials say wet road conditions caused the truck to lose traction.

Both victims were conscious and taken to Forbes Regional Hospital's trauma center.

"Both of those guys have helped me out several times on crashes and the one guy even stated, ‘It's hard being on this side of it,’” Thompson said.

The road will be closed for the rest of Monday. Channel 11 will continue checking with police for a status update and let you know what we find out.

Cox Media Group