A Delaware Township man and four Butler County teen-agers were killed New Year's Eve in separate car wrecks.

Gregory L. Shaffer, 35, of 126 District Road, died after his car crashed into a house on state Route 58 near the intersection with Kidds Mill Road in Delaware Township, state police said.

Shaffer was pronounced dead at the scene by Mercer County Deputy Coroner Dr. Charles Ziegler after the accident at 11:10 p.m. Monday, police said.

Shaffer was heading north on Route 58 toward Greenville at a high rate of speed when he failed to negotiate a right curve in the road, police said. His car crossed the southbound lane, left the road and hit a tree, which sent the car spinning into the house.

Residents Roy and Virginia McIntire were at home when Shaffer's car slammed into their house.

"We live on a bend ... he just never turned," McIntire said. "He came straight through and hit a little tree in the neighbor's yard and that kind of turned the car a little bit. He continued on and plowed right into the side of the house."

McIntire said the sound of the car hitting the house sounded like an artillery shell striking and exploding. He compared the experience to the 15 months he spent in Korea and said the memories came back to him.

McIntire said the car did a "tremendous amount of damage" to his wooden home. He said the stone foundation was demolished and there are only two rooms in the house that don't have cracks in the ceiling or walls.

McIntire said it was very sad that Shaffer was killed.

"... I feel very bad for him and his family," he said. "That's the part that hurts."

Police said they believe alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash. Zeigler said toxicology tests have been ordered but results are not in yet.

Four Butler County teen-agers returning from a New Year's party were killed Tuesday when their speeding car went out of control and collided with another car, authorities said.

State police said the driver, Joseph R. Vedilago, 18, of Slippery Rock, was speeding on a rural road and lost control of the compact car he was driving, which spun around and was hit in the passenger side by a full-size car.

The four teen-agers in the compact car, all Slippery Rock Area High School students, were killed in the crash, which happened at about 12:30 p.m. near Slippery Rock.

The passengers in Vedilago's car -- Adam Protzman, 16, of Butler; Ryan McCaffrey, 16, of Prospect; and Sarah Steiner, 15, of Prospect -- all died of blunt-force trauma, said Butler County Deputy Coroner William F. Young Jr.

Vedilago, of Seldom Seen Lane, was a senior while the others were sophomores.

"These were excellent kids. Excellent kids," said Principal Harry Weil. "Our hearts go out to the families."

Young said he didn't think alcohol was involved, although toxicology tests would be performed.

Young said the road was damp from the cold. "From what the investigators are telling me now, it was excessive speed that caused the accident... He simply was traveling at a high rate of speed," state police Cpl. Dean Lawrence said.

Young said the three passengers all appeared to have been wearing seat belts, though Vedilago apparently was not.

"As far as we know, three of the kids had belts on, but they were hit with such great force, they (the belts) wouldn't have saved them," Young said.

The full-size car was thrown backward by the collision, and its driver, Jennifer Cooper, 21, of Slippery Rock, got out and ran to a nearby house and called her parents, authorities said.

A woman at the Cooper residence said Jennifer was out of the hospital, but would not comment further. Police said she suffered minor injuries.

Assistant School Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Nogay said the district's crisis team would meet today to coordinate the district's response for the families, staff and students. Classes resume Thursday.

"This is not new to us," Dr. Nogay said. "We've been through it. In every district I've ever been in, we've been through it. It just doesn't get any easier. It's a loss to the district. They were part of our family."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.