UPMC doctor killed in crash remembered as someone who 'was not like anybody else'
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The medical community is mourning a local doctor who died in a car crash over the weekend.
Douglas Rockacy was a dedicated emergency room physician at UPMC, a spokesperson confirmed to KDKA-TV.
The Northern Regional police chief said Rockacy was the passenger in his Tesla when the driver crashed on Wexford Bayne Road in Pine Township on Saturday morning. The police chief said he believes speed was a factor in the crash.
Friends of Rockacy said he was less than a mile away from home when the driver, another doctor, veered off the road and went into the Pine Creek Watershed.
Those who knew Rockacy said he was not only an incredible doctor but someone who touched thousands of lives inside and out of the office.
"He was a great teacher, not just to the nurses but to residents to anybody. He was not like anybody else," said Dan Furlong, a friend and coworker.
A woman who lives near where the crash happened said her son woke up to the crash after hearing a loud noise outside.
"He said he heard metal, metal than metal. He thought it sounded to him like the mailbox had been hit and the car might have rolled," Jane French said.
She said the driver smashed through their mailbox and their neighbor's mailbox before ending up in a small creek.
"Usually, it's from this direction that our mailbox gets hit. But this time we knew that they had been traveling (westbound) because the mailbox was on the other side of the road. There were big pieces of cinder bricks that had been broken up and lying on the road and causing other traffic problems," French said.
French said this is the sixth time that her mailbox has been hit, saying speed on Wexford Bayne Road near the intersection of Brennon Road has always been a problem. She said something needs to change so something like this doesn't happen again.
"It's devastating," French said. "It's so sad. I'm sorry for the families."
Furlong said he'd worked with Rockacy for 12 years and will remember him for his smile and calming presence, even in the midst of chaos inside the emergency room.
"It was it was a good night when you knew Doug was there because no matter how bad the situation, it was under control," Furlong said.
Rockacy leaves behind a wife and two children. His coworkers and friends told KDKA-TV that his legacy will be remembered forever.
"The amount of lives he's touched, I can't count. I mean, just not just patients, co-workers and everybody that came in contact with them," Furlong said.
"Dr. Doug Rockacy, you left us your legacy way too soon. You touched the lives of so many people, more than you know. We as past and present family members of Mercy will and do miss you. Nights at Mercy will never be the same," coworker Robin Artz said.
The driver was taken to a local hospital following the crash. Police did not have an update on his condition as of Monday. He has not been identified.
So far, no charges have been filed. Police said the investigation is expected to take weeks.