1 driver alerts another to fire under her vehicle while traveling on Pennsylvania Turnpike
An Ohio woman escaped her vehicle before it became engulfed in flames on the Pennsylvania Turnpike after another driver got her to pull over, according to state police.
The incident happened around 6 p.m. Friday in the westbound lanes in Pine.
According to state police, Amanda M. Harder, 35, of Olmsted Falls, was driving a 2016 Jeep Cherokee west on the turnpike.
A witness traveling behind her noticed a strong odor of burning oil and saw smoke coming from the SUV and an occasional flame coming from the undercarriage. State police did not identify the witness.
The witness pulled alongside Harder’s vehicle and motioned for her to pull over. Harder was able to pull to the shoulder and stop, at which point the flames became more intense, police said.
State police said Harder, the witness and other passersby removed all of Hader’s personal belongings from the vehicle before it became engulfed in flames.
Harder was not injured, state police said.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a TribLive reporter covering news in New Kensington, Arnold and Plum. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, Brian has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.