CHIPPEWA TWP. — Crews were called to a hazmat situation Wednesday morning on Route 51 near McKinley Road after a body was discovered in a parked car, officials said.
According to Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier, a police officer in Chippewa Township discovered a car parked on Route 51 with a person inside who appeared to be distressed.
The officer opened the car door in an attempt to render first aid and discovered the person had been deceased for “a number of hours,” Lozier said.
It then became apparent there was a “hazardous chemical situation” inside the car, Lozier said, and an area hazmat team was called to assist. The police officer underwent a decontamination process and was taken to an area hospital to be “medically checked.”
The body was also decontaminated and turned over to the county coroner’s office. Lozier said the cause of death has not yet been determined, and the deceased was not identified.
Lozier said there were no homes in the area, and the chemical did not present a danger to residents.
Times reporter Kate Malongowski contributed to this report.