Roundup: Tractor-trailer crash snarls traffic on eastbound Parkway West; police say Braddock man struck Munhall officer with stolen car

Here are a few morning news items from across the region for Thursday, July 3:

Tractor-trailer crash snarls traffic on eastbound Parkway West

A ramp remained closed on the Parkway West (Interstate 376) Thursday afternoon in the area of the Pittsburgh International Airport and Route 576 interchange after a morning crash, according to PennDOT.

Video from TribLive news partner WTAE showed smoky conditions and what appeared to be a damaged tractor-trailer on its side. Both eastbound lanes were closed around 5:30 a.m and parts of the highway reopened throughout the morning as crews cleaned up the wreckage.

It was not known if there were any injuries. Emergency responders were on the scene.

No other details about the crash were available.

Police say Braddock man struck Munhall officer with stolen car

A Braddock man was awaiting arraignment Thursday morning after Allegheny County sheriff’s deputies said he hit a Munhall police officer with a stolen vehicle.

Mitchell Johnson, 20, is charged with aggravated assault, receiving stolen property, fleeing from police and related offenses.

Police believe he was driving a Chevrolet Malibu that was reported stolen from Munhall on Wednesday. The car was found in Braddock later in the day where police conducted a traffic stop, according to court papers.

As a Munhall officer got out and attempted to arrest the driver at gunpoint, the car accelerated and hit the policeman, according to court papers. A police chase ensued on Braddock Avenue until the Chevrolet crashed into two garages and a fence. Authorities said the driver took off on foot, but police found identification cards belonging to Johnson on the ground, according to court papers. He was arrested around 5:15 p.m. at his home.

A juvenile passenger in the stolen car was arrested at the conclusion of the chase.

The Munhall officer and an Eastern Regional Valley officer, who was hurt during the chase, sustained minor injuries, according to Sheriff Kevin M. Kraus. Johnson did not have an attorney listed in the case.

He is awaiting trial in an attempted homicide case stemming from a January incident in which he is accused of shooting at Homestead police who were investigating a shoplifting report. No police were hurt but Johnson was shot in the hand as officers returned fire. Johnson had been free after posting $100,000 bail.

Kennywood coaster rider hit by cellphone, taken to hospital

A rider on Kennywood’s Phantom’s Revenge roller coaster was taken to a hospital Wednesday night after being hit by a cellphone, according to a statement from the amusement park.

“Safety is our top priority,” the statement said. “Loose articles, including cell phones, are strictly prohibited on all attractions.”

No other details were available.

Police drone leads to arrests in Brentwood vape shop burglary

A Pittsburgh man is free on bail in connection with burglary charges after a break in at a Brentwood vape shop.

Borough police said the Vape City Smoke Shop on Saw Mill Run Boulevard was burglarized Wednesday at 1:30 a.m. With the use of a police drone, authorities were quickly able to arrest three suspects — one adult and two juveniles.

Police identified the adult suspect as Twizere Ngaboyishema, 21. He is charged with burglary, conspiracy, theft and criminal mischief. He was released on $100,000 unsecured bail Wednesday evening, according to court records.

Police did not say if anything was taken from the store. Ngaboyishema did not have an attorney listed in online court records. A preliminary hearing is set for July 22.

State police issue July Fourth alert

Pennsylvania State Police issued notifications that they plan to keep an eye out for impaired, distracted and aggressive motorists during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Members of Troop B indicated they would be conducting a sobriety checkpoint somewhere in Fayette County on Saturday and Sunday. Members of Troop A, which includes state police in Greensburg, will be out on the roads between Thursday and Sunday, according to a news release.

Neither troop provided details about the location of their enforcement efforts.

A 1990 U.S. Supreme Court ruling held that police have to announce checkpoints ahead of time to meet a minimal standard of consent — if drivers know there’s a checkpoint and still drive, they’re effectively acknowledging that they could run into the checkpoint and be stopped.