Driver taken into custody after breaching barricades, striking pedestrian during OpenStreetsPGH event

Allegheny County sheriff’s deputies took a woman from Duquesne into custody after she plowed her car through barricades at Sunday’s OpenStreetsPGH, an event that allows pedestrians and bicyclists free rein on certain roads.

The sheriff’s office filed charges, including first-degree aggravated assault and assault of a law enforcement officer, against Arielle Scipione, 46.

The first Open Streets ride of the year, held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., made a route through several East End neighborhoods: Shadyside, East Liberty, Larimer, Homewood and North Point Breeze. Bike Pittsburgh organizes the event.

“I want to commend the quick action of these deputies to immediately intervene in a dangerous situation, preventing further escalation by this driver,” Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus said.

Sheriff’s Lt. Darryl B. Smith wrote in a criminal complaint against Scipione that he was posted at North Braddock Avenue and Thomas Boulevard for the event. He reported seeing a red Hyundai Elantra turn left from North Braddock onto Thomas Boulevard “at a speed unsafe for the dense foot and bicycle traffic,” the complaint states.

The driver, later identified as Scipione, continued east toward Brushton Avenue, disregarding posted signs and officers, the complaint states. Upon reaching a barricade at Brushton, the car made a three-point U-turn and accelerated west along the same route.

While trying to intercept the car, Smith reported seeing it strike a bicyclist, after which the car stopped. The bicycle was pinned under the front bumper, but the woman riding it said she was not hurt and declined medical help, the complaint states.

As Smith approached Scipione’s car, it was running with the windows closed and doors locked, he reported in the complaint. After she refused repeated commands to shut off the car and lower her window, officers broke the front passenger window and removed the key from the ignition, after which Smith unlocked the driver’s door with the key, removed Scipione and handcuffed her.

Scipione refused to provide identification, but officers found her driver’s license in her purse, the complaint states. Police claim Scipione, who is white, became verbally abusive, making numerous racial remarks toward officers, including that Blacks are abusive and that Smith has numerous children, “because Blacks have a lot of kids.”

“She mentioned something about Black women and microwaves, but it was unclear,” Smith wrote in the complaint.

Smith reported that Scipione stomped her right foot onto his left foot.

In a statement, Bike Pittsburgh said the driver “did not observe the two layers of posted barricades” meant to keep the OpenStreetsPGH course free of cars and “aggressively broke through and entered the closed course.”

“To our knowledge, one BikePGH staffer suffered injuries from the aggressive driver while protecting event attendees,” the statement said.

BikePGH did not offer details on the extent of the staffer’s injuries.

Before hitting the bicyclist, Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne said, Scipione struck one man with her car’s sideview mirror at Hamilton and North Braddock. The man was knocked to the ground during the collision but refused to be seen by medics, Bourne said.

This marks the first time such an incident has occurred since BikePGH began hosting the OpenStreetPGH events in 2014.

“We are proud of our decade-long record of maintaining a safe event for thousands of people of all ages to enjoy,” the organization’s statement said.

In addition to the two felony charges, Scipione faces misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and resisting arrest and summary counts of disorderly conduct and reckless driving. She was awaiting arraignment Sunday night, according to court records.

TribLive staff writer Brian Rittmeyer contributed to this story.