2 troopers hospitalized after responding to I-279 hit-and-run that injured driver
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Three people, including state troopers, were hurt after two crashes early Tuesday morning on the Parkway North. Police need your help finding one of the vehicles involved that left the scene.
It was just after midnight Christmas Eve morning when Pennsylvania State Police said a black Dodge Ram 1500 truck hit a man on I-279 near the McKnight Road exit by Northview Heights and Perry North.
The man was pushing his Ford Focus off the roadway after it became disabled in the lanes of traffic. Police said someone driving by pulled over and had just started helping the man when the Dodge struck the driver of the Ford Focus and fled from the scene.
First responders transported the man who was hit to the hospital, the severity of his injuries unclear as police reconstructed the crash.
In the process, a Toyota 4Runner struck a state police vehicle that had its emergency lights and arrow sticks activated.
State police said EMS crews took the troopers that were inside the car to the hospital. Police told KDKA-TV that both troopers are men and have since been released. They also said the Toyota driver stayed on the scene.
Yasmeen Manyisha with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said these incidents serve as a reminder of the importance of the Move Over Law.
"You don't want to be the person who makes a mistake and ends someone's life," Manyisha said.
If you see an emergency on the side of the road, you must move one lane over, and if you can't, you have to slow down at least 20 miles per hour under the speed limit. Otherwise, you could be fined. A first offense is $500.
"They have families, they have friends, they celebrate the holidays. We want to make sure that they get home safely," Manyisha said.
The incidents remain under investigation.
If you have any information about the Dodge truck, you're asked to call state police at 412-787-2000.
