Pedestrian Stuck, Killed By Van On McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge
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MCKEESPORT (KDKA) -- A man was struck and killed while crossing the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge on Wednesday evening.
Officials say multiple witnesses called 911 around 6 p.m. to report that a pedestrian had been struck near the McKeesport side of the structure.
According to Allegheny County Police, the pedestrian was crossing in a poorly lit area of the span when he was struck by a van.
Police say the driver of the conversion van immediately stopped, called 911 and tried to help the victim. The victim has been identified as 71-year-old Albert Vavra, of Duquesne.
First responders arrived on the scene, and Vavra was pronounced dead.
Investigators say the van was within the proper lane of travel and do not believe speed was a factor.
The bridge was shut down for several hours on Wednesday night while police investigated and cleared the scene.
Vavra's sister, Joanne Wallace, says her brother had just been discharged from McKeesport Hospital and was getting ready to move into a boarding home in McKeesport called the Farkas Hospitality House.
After eating dinner at the boarding home, he told an employee he wanted to go back home to Duquesne. The accident happened not long after Vavra left.
Wallace says Vavra was suffering from the early stages of dementia.