PITTSTON TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A hit-and-run involving a tractor-trailer in Pittston Township is raising serious concerns about safety on a busy residential road.
A woman's porch was destroyed, and now, there are questions over who's responsible for maintaining safety on that particular roadway.
"Oh, I just got weak. I couldn't believe that this happened," homeowner Cathy Menichini stated.
Menichini has lived on Oak Street in Pittston Township for nearly 60 years.
She says it was a terrifying moment when a tractor-trailer barreled down the road and crashed into the front porch of her home.
Then, according to Menichini, the driver of the vehicle left the scene without checking to see if anyone was hurt.
"It's a terrible, terrible thing to experience, that you think you're safe in your home, and you're really not," Menichini explained.
According to Menichini, the neighborhood started to change when the nearby industrial park went up, and now, heavy truck traffic is a daily problem.
The issue now? Figuring out who's actually responsible for traffic control and safety measures. Township officials say it's out of their hands.
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"Any road improvements or any public safety improvements would be PennDOT's responsibility," Pittston Township Financial Administrator Kyle Rozitski told 28/22 News.
PennDOT says the township owns the road and that they're the ones who need to act first.
"Oak Street in certain areas is Pittston Township, so it is gonna be a municipality road," PennDOT District 4 Safety Press Officer Liz Fabri said.
In the meantime, residents say they're stuck in the middle, while state and local officials go back and forth over who is responsible for the stretch of road.
"There's a speed limit. Nobody obeys it. They just go right down that road, and when they go so fast, they shake my house," Menichini added.
For now, the damage is done, and the fear that it could happen again still remains.
At this point, there's still no final word on who will take the lead in making Oak Street safer.
Meanwhile, residents say they're tired of waiting for action and just want to feel safe in their own neighborhood.
