Car Runs Into House in Lancaster County

Driver falls asleep at the wheel and crashes into home

Not all car crashes in Pennsylvania involve one motor vehicle colliding with another. Some wrecks are the result of rollovers and other single-vehicle accidents. Other times, automobiles crash into fixed objects – like a house.

A case in point happened February 16 in Lancaster County, when a passenger car smashed through the wall of a private home in East Earl Township. A resident inside was knocked from the couch where he had been sleeping. He suffered minor injuries.

The accident occurred in the early morning hours. The driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel, and police are investigating whether alcohol was a contributing factor.

There were 121,312 traffic crashes in Pennsylvania in 2010, according to reports filed with the state Department of Transportation. These wrecks claimed the lives of 1,324 people and injured another 87,949 people.

Following is from WHTM ABC 27 News:

Troy Weaver sustained a minor arm injury, according to East Earl Township police Chief Kevin McCarthy. The driver who crashed into the home told police he had fallen asleep at the wheel before he crashed into the home on the 200 block of East Main Street around 2 AM.

McCarthy said alcohol may have been a factor in the case. Charges are pending against the driver, 32-year-old Daryl Pierce of Manheim.

The Weaver family is staying with friends or family while their home is repaired. The insurance company told them repairs will take at least a week.

Pierce had to be freed from his car by Terre Hill firefighters and Lancaster County's Rescue Task force. They also worked to stabilize the home.

A portion of East Main Street was closed this morning while police investigated the crash.

Alcohol played a role in 35 percent of all Pennsylvania traffic deaths in 2010 and contributed to almost 11 percent of all injuries, according to the state Department of Transportation.