None of the teens were seriously hurt in the crash, but they decided that additional lighting at the circle would help prevent future mishaps, said Upper St. Clair High School student Molly McCann at the Aug. 6 commissioners' meeting.
The other girls who participated in the fund raiser were Samantha Jones, Jennifer Findle and Jennifer Rudolph. All were honored by Allegheny County Councilman Vince Gastgeb and Upper St. Clair Commissioners Aug. 6.
"You see a lot of negative stories in the media about youth, but this is a very, very positive story, and I am quite proud of these girls," Gastgeb said.
After working a haunted house in South Park last year, teens were driving home, hit the circle and their car flipped over. "We were lucky," said Jennifer Findle. "We wanted to do something, and we talked to different vendors about helping with a sale. They really came through for us."
The event raised about $2,500, said McCann.
The money was given to Allegheny County, and Public Works Director Tom Donatelli used it to install four light posts at the circle.
About five years ago, some work was done at the circle, Gastgeb explained, to repair drainage issues and install some lighting near a memorial. The curbs were also made higher. According to the Pennsylvania Department at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the Joyce Kilmer Memorial was named after the poet who wrote "Trees" and who was killed in World War I. It was dedicated in 1934. The prominent local architect Henry Hornbostel designed it.
The memorial on Corrigan Drive was named after the famous "Wrong Way Corrigan" who, in order to challenge the rules of planning flights, deliberately flew from Brooklyn to Dublin in 1938, instead of from Brooklyn to California, according to the Carnegie.
In addition to the traffic lighting at the circle, Gastgeb said new lighting was recently installed at the football field at the site of the former Allegheny County Fairgrounds in South Park. At present, the lights are on from Monday through Friday, 24-hours a day. The lights are turned off Friday evening, and Saturday and Sundays. Eventually a timer will be installed, with lights off from perhaps midnight to dusk.
There's a walking track that can be used by anyone at any time, Gastgeb said.
For high school teams to use the field, a permitting process is in place. For information go to the South Park office, or call 412-350-7275.