Charges Expected Against Alleged Drunk Driver In Fatal Penn Hills Crash
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PENN HILLS (KDKA) -- Allegheny County police said the investigation into the fatal alleged drunk driving crash that happened in Penn Hills on Thursday is still ongoing. They expect to file charges once the investigation is complete.
The medical examiner said the victim in this tragic crash in Penn Hills is Steven Prazenica, 33, of Allison Park.
Prazenica was driving a Nissan SUV when he was struck head-on by a 48-year-old man driving a pickup truck on Frankstown Road near Advanced Auto Parts in Penn Hills.
Police said that man crossed the center line and crashed into Prazenica. Prazenica was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries.
The driver of the pickup truck is still in the hospital and listed in stable condition. Police believe the 48-year-old man may have been driving drunk. That's where Mother's Against Drunk Driving, also known as MADD, comes in.
"A lot of victims aren't aware that we are out there," Robin Weitz, of the MADD Pittsburgh office, said.
Weitz said in a situation like this, she will work closely with police so she can contact a victim hurt in a crash or the victim's family.
"The first thing they need is education, understanding the judicial system," Weitz said. "I'm also there to go through the judicial process with them. So with the preliminary hearing, I'll go to the preliminary hearing with the victim, whether they're the victim of injury or a victim of being a loved one left behind."
Weitz said there's approximately 11,000 deaths nationwide due to DUIs every year. MADD helps a victim of drunk driving every 15 minutes at no cost to the victim.
"We truly believe, especially with today's ways, that there's never an excuse to drive drunk. It's 100 percent preventable," Weitz said.