Two people were flown from the scene of a crash yesterday morning in Armstrong County after a police pursuit ended up with their car over a 100-foot embankment near Atwood.
State police were dispatched at 6:13 AM for a welfare check at the Atwood boat launch to Keystone Lake, off Route 210. There, Trooper Nickolas Elliott encountered 53-year-old Walter Frank Smith and 32-year-old Nicole Ann Berisko, both of Lower Burrell. Elliott ensured they were okay but told Smith he was not to drive because his license was suspended and he appeared to be intoxicated.
After leaving the scene, Elliott saw Smith driving his car, with Berisko in the passenger seat, near the Route 210/West Indiana Street intersection. He attempted to pull Smith over, but he took off on West Indiana Street, at one point passing a school bus that was about to load students. Elliott passed he bus as well, but cut off his chase to check on the children and the bus driver. He then resumed his pursuit and came upon the crash site in the area of Atwood Road and Frick Road in Washington Township, Indiana County. The car had gone over a retaining wall and down the 100-foot plus embankment.
Trooper Elliott navigated his way down the embankment and found the injured Berisko had dragged Smith from the wrecked car. Elliott and Trooper William Ray provided first aid until Citizens Ambulance personnel arrived.
Plumville firefighters were summoned and set up a landing zone for a medical helicopter. Both Smith and Berisko were flown from the scene.
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