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Building collapses in Connellsville; mound of debris lands in street
http://triblive.com/news/fayette/7062565-74/building-street-connellsville#axzz3Hj8I34ac
By Mark Hofmann
Pictures avalible on website
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, 6:15 p.m.
Updated 1 hour ago
A building collapsed Thursday afternoon in Connellsville, covering a road with a mound of debris.
“It was like a kinetic rumble,” said Peter Jandura, owner of the building attached to the one at 115 S. Pittsburgh St. that collapsed at approximately 4 p.m. “There was a cracking, and then all of a sudden ‘boom!' and then dust.”
Tom Currey, the city's health and zoning officer, said the crew that was working on tearing down the building had left for the day when it collapsed, with debris landing on South Pittsburgh Street and East Church Place. No injuries were reported.
Rhiannon Martin of South Connellsville and Haden Culver of Connellsville were sitting in a car at the stoplight at Crawford Avenue and South Pittsburgh Street when the collapse occurred.
“It dropped two feet behind us,” Culver said, adding that he saw from the corner of his eye a few boards and bricks fall on the street, followed by a pile of rubble.
He said no vehicles were behind them at the light, and they did not see any pedestrians on the sidewalk at the time of the collapse.
“It scared me,” Martin said.
Patrick Scaife of Latrobe was standing at the corner of Crawford Avenue and Pittsburgh Street. He not only saw the building collapse, but felt the rumble on the street from the force of the debris falling.
“There was a loud thud,” Scaife said.
Other witnesses said the noise sounded like a train wreck.
“We're very fortunate that people weren't inside and there weren't any cars on the street,” said Mayor Greg Lincoln, who responded to the scene.
Currey said an engineer from Widmer Engineering was called to assess the situation and lead the city in a professional direction on what to do with the building.
Police Chief James Capitos said the engineers deemed the area unsafe, so the 100 block of South Pittsburgh Street was closed on both sides into the morning by Connellsville auxiliary police.
“We'll call the city engineer in the morning to reinspect the site,” Capitos said Thursday night. If the engineer says the site is safe, they'll reopen the street, he added.
The building's owner, Rodney Allen, brought his crew back to the scene to push the rubble off the street and do whatever needed done by recommendation of the engineer, Currey said.
Lincoln said he was pleased with the quick response by the city as well as Allen's bringing equipment to the scene.
Jandura said it was divine intervention that one wall remained standing that's attached to his building, which received very minimal damage.
He also said that wall will have to be brought down brick by brick not to damage his building.
“I've been watching that building fall apart for nine years,” Jandura said. “I told them (city officials) this was going to happen.”
Mark Hofmann is a staff writer with Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-626-3539 or mhofmann@tribweb.com
Read more: http://triblive.com/news/fayette/7062565-74/building-street-connellsville#ixzz3Hj8cnauV
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http://triblive.com/news/fayette/7062565-74/building-street-connellsville#axzz3Hj8I34ac
By Mark Hofmann
Pictures avalible on website
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, 6:15 p.m.
Updated 1 hour ago
A building collapsed Thursday afternoon in Connellsville, covering a road with a mound of debris.
“It was like a kinetic rumble,” said Peter Jandura, owner of the building attached to the one at 115 S. Pittsburgh St. that collapsed at approximately 4 p.m. “There was a cracking, and then all of a sudden ‘boom!' and then dust.”
Tom Currey, the city's health and zoning officer, said the crew that was working on tearing down the building had left for the day when it collapsed, with debris landing on South Pittsburgh Street and East Church Place. No injuries were reported.
Rhiannon Martin of South Connellsville and Haden Culver of Connellsville were sitting in a car at the stoplight at Crawford Avenue and South Pittsburgh Street when the collapse occurred.
“It dropped two feet behind us,” Culver said, adding that he saw from the corner of his eye a few boards and bricks fall on the street, followed by a pile of rubble.
He said no vehicles were behind them at the light, and they did not see any pedestrians on the sidewalk at the time of the collapse.
“It scared me,” Martin said.
Patrick Scaife of Latrobe was standing at the corner of Crawford Avenue and Pittsburgh Street. He not only saw the building collapse, but felt the rumble on the street from the force of the debris falling.
“There was a loud thud,” Scaife said.
Other witnesses said the noise sounded like a train wreck.
“We're very fortunate that people weren't inside and there weren't any cars on the street,” said Mayor Greg Lincoln, who responded to the scene.
Currey said an engineer from Widmer Engineering was called to assess the situation and lead the city in a professional direction on what to do with the building.
Police Chief James Capitos said the engineers deemed the area unsafe, so the 100 block of South Pittsburgh Street was closed on both sides into the morning by Connellsville auxiliary police.
“We'll call the city engineer in the morning to reinspect the site,” Capitos said Thursday night. If the engineer says the site is safe, they'll reopen the street, he added.
The building's owner, Rodney Allen, brought his crew back to the scene to push the rubble off the street and do whatever needed done by recommendation of the engineer, Currey said.
Lincoln said he was pleased with the quick response by the city as well as Allen's bringing equipment to the scene.
Jandura said it was divine intervention that one wall remained standing that's attached to his building, which received very minimal damage.
He also said that wall will have to be brought down brick by brick not to damage his building.
“I've been watching that building fall apart for nine years,” Jandura said. “I told them (city officials) this was going to happen.”
Mark Hofmann is a staff writer with Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-626-3539 or mhofmann@tribweb.com
Read more: http://triblive.com/news/fayette/7062565-74/building-street-connellsville#ixzz3Hj8cnauV
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook