Welcome to Fayette-nam

Car drives through state senator's office

By Mark Hofmann
DAILY COURIER
Thursday, February 17, 2005

The Dunbar Township office of state Sen. Richard Kasunic will be temporarily closed.

The office was severely damaged early Wednesday after a vehicle went through two walls of the University Drive structure, coming to rest in a conference room of an adjoining building.

"Imagine my shock," said Kasunic, as he stood in an office with two large holes in the wall, a broken and toppled desk, along with shattered glass, notes, papers, insulation, vehicle pieces and other scattered debris.

Outside of the office was Kasunic's flattened office chair.

"I pictured myself sitting in that chair when it happened," he said. "Thank God nobody was here."

State police at Uniontown said one man was injured.

According to reports from the scene, a Ford Taurus driven by an unidentified driver veered off of Route 119 South, striking Kasunic's building.

State police at Uniontown have not released the name of the driver or any details of the accident as of presstime today. A representative from Fayette EMS said one ambulance transported a patient to Highlands Hospital.

Kasunic said the driver was a male and had cuts and bruises. He said the driver was not trapped in the car.

According to Mark Virgillo, captain with the Morrell Volunteer Fire Department, the accident occurred at 5:18 a.m. Crews at the scene spent an hour extracting the vehicle from the office.

Kasunic said state police informed him about the accident at approximately 6 a.m., and when he arrived at the scene, the damage was far worse than he originally thought.

The office was filled with unfinished paperwork, phone numbers and mementos highlighting Kasunic's 23 years of public service. Kasunic moved into the office in 1984, two years after he was elected to the state House of Representatives.

In January 1995, Kasunic was elected to a four-year term representing the 32nd Senatorial District. He was re-elected in 1998 and 2002.

The location, which also houses four employees, was convenient for people to come and go, according to Kasunic. He said he noticed an increase in traffic throughout the years and an increase in the number of motorists speeding along the highway.

"I always thought this could happen," said Kasunic, adding that the only other accident he recalls at the location is when an elderly man passed out while driving and his vehicle grazed the outside of the office.

Kasunic said the day-to-day operations of his facility will have to be put on hold until arrangements can be made.

"We won't be functional for a while," he said.

# posted by javaman @ 5:12 AM