Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Storm Causes Damage in Cranberry Area, Knocks Over Historic Tree in Zelienople

Route 528 in Jackson Township recently reopened after a tree blocked the roadway overnight.

A centuries-old tree on Route 68 in Zelienople was one of many trees and wires to bite the dust Tuesday night as storms swept through the area.

“That tree was really, really old,” said Zelienople Fire Chief Rob Reeb.

Reeb said he was unsure if the tree, which is located just outside the fire station, was struck by lightning or if the wind knocked it over. He noted the tree, which is so old it’s joked that George Washington slept under it, was badly rotted inside.

Find out what's happening in Cranberrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“It just cracked and blew over,” he said.

Zelienople firefighters also handled numerous calls for downed wires and tree limbs.

Find out what's happening in Cranberrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Reeb said a motorist on West New Castle Street had a primary electric line tangled under his vehicle over driving over it. The man was not injured after getting out of his car. 

“Luckily, he got out of the car and nothing happened,” Reeb said. “He walked away from it.”

The fire chief estimated 30 to 40 percent of Zelienople was without power until about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, power had been restored to all but about 10 to 15 percent of the borough, he said.

He noted Zelienople Electric Company was hard at work throughout the storms to try to restore power.

“Considering all the damage they had, those four guys, with help from the street department, did a nice job,” he said.

Tree Blocks Route 528 in Jackson

In Jackson Township, a portion of Route 528 is reopened at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday between Route 68 and Jo Deener Road. 

The highway was closed overnight after a tree fell on a power line in the area, causing it to smolder.

Police Chief Terry Seilhamer said the roadway was closed near the ramp to I-79 until Penn Power arrived to cut the power to the line and remove the tree. Harmony fire police were on the scene directing traffic in the area.

The chief said traffic is moving smoothly now after some traffic tie-ups in the morning rush hour.

Seilhamer said two Jackson traffic signals are in flash mode. One is located on Route 528 at the intersection with the park and ride. The other is on Route 68 at Hartmann Road.

“We have calls in to our repair service,” Seilhamer said.

Franklin Road also was closed briefly near Schar Road around 7 p.m. Tuesday after a tree fell onto the roadway. Seilhamer said Evans City firefighters used a chainsaw to break up the tree and remove it from the road.

Shed Catches Fire in Cranberry

Cranberry volunteer firefighters responded to a shed fire at about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday morning on Treesdale Drive in the Village of Cranberry.

Fire Chief Brian Kovac said lightning struck a tree next to the shed. The bolt traveled through the tree and caught the building on fire.

Kovac said the flames destroyed the shed. The heat from the flames also melted the siding on a nearby mobile home.

A family inside the home escaped safely.

Cranberry firefighters responded to close to a dozen calls Tuesday evening throughout the night for reports of downed wires and tree limbs, Kovac said.

Garvin Road also was closed Tuesday evening for wires and tree down on the road.

Two people also were transported to the hospital after a crash at about 8 p.m. on Executive Drive. Kovac said he believes the motorists did not have any life-threatening injuries. 

Did you have any damage from the storm? Tell us about it in the comment section below. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.