University Gate Apartments (UGates) residents found themselves confused and surprised when a pickup truck came dashing through the parking lot and crashed into the 900-building late Wednesday evening.

 

According to official reports, Behrend student Colten Brown’s black pickup truck was being driven by a friend, and from approximately 7:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. the truck was driven through the first floor wall of UGates apartment 914.

 

According to on-site student sources, the driver did not know how to properly operate the truck’s manual transmission, which made him unable to stop the vehicle as it penetrated the stoned exterior of the UGates 900-level building, which is located at 5086 Station Road, in Harborcreek Township. According to a GoErie report, one unidentified individual was injured in the accident and was transported to Saint Vincent Hospital for care.

 

The residents of the damaged apartment building, the driver, and the owner of the car were all unwilling to give statements on the accident. However, many students were on hand to witness the aftermath of the crash between the truck and the wall.

 

“I only heard a loud bang and tires squeaking, and then I walked over there,” said Yanique Apgar, a junior and a resident of the 600-building at UGates.

 

Apgar was one of many surrounding UGates residents who have been speculating over the unusual circumstance.

 

“The residents of the apartment that were hit do not live there right now; University Gates got them a hotel that's paid for," added Apgar.

 

Immediately following the accident, all members of the 900-level were forced by the local fire department to evacuate their apartments.

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“I was studying in my room. I didn’t hear anything, then my friend called me and I asked what happened,” said Gian Carlo Riccadonna, a 900-building resident at UGates. “I didn’t know what he was talking about. He said there was a truck coming out of the building. As he said that, the fire department knocked on the door to evacuate everyone.”

 

According to Riccadonna, most of the evacuated UGates residents waited outside of their apartments for hours and were kept in a state of confusion regarding the entire situation.

 

“We were outside waiting for three hours. It was disorganized because we asked the fire department if we could go in, and they said no,” said Riccadonna, who lives on the third floor. “But then, we asked University Gate maintenance, and he said we could go up. I don’t think we had to be out there so long.”

 

Several other UGates residents reiterated Riccadonna’s confusion. "There was one fire truck, one ambulance, and two cop cars I think. I was thinking it was probably a drunk driver,” said witness Anthony Ventura, a 1100-building resident. “There were way more servicemen were there than I thought were necessary."

 

Currently, the damaged apartment is taped off and appears set to undergo repairs in the immediate future. Furthermore with none of the involved members of this accident lending their first-hand experience, plenty of supplementary information regarding the crash still is subject to speculation.