'Please remember our names': Plum woman addresses drunk driver who killed her husband

The last words Maria Vernon heard her husband say just before a car crashed into their SUV last year on Freeport Road in O’Hara were, “Oh my God, Maria, watch.”

They came out as a hysterical scream.

Then Vernon saw her husband’s head strike the windshield, bounce back, and come to a rest on her shoulder.

“I knew he was gone,” Vernon, 70, of Plum said Tuesday at the plea and sentencing for the drunk driver who caused the crash.

Despite her severe injuries — she’s had 18 surgeries, uses a cane to walk and endures constant pain — Vernon remained awake for all two hours it took for rescue crews to free them.

“I was alert when they cut the roof off and lifted the lifeless body of my husband from our car, and I saw him for the last time.”

Still, Vernon continued Tuesday, she doesn’t hate the woman responsible.

“I hate what you did to my family,” Vernon said. “I hate that your actions stole my independence. You turned your car into a weapon when you decided to get in drunk that evening.”

Alyssa Galiano, 30, pleaded guilty before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jennifer Satler to homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and related counts.

As part of a plea agreement, Galiano was ordered to serve 2½-5 years in state prison.

Addressing the Vernon family, Galiano read from a typewritten statement, apologizing for her actions.

“I know words will never be enough to take away the pain I have caused your family,” she said. “But I am sorry. I am so sorry for the pain I have caused you both physically and mentally for the last almost two years.

“I would never ask for forgiveness, nor would I ever expect that, but I hope and pray that one day you’ll realize that my words are true and genuine.”

‘A horrible decision’

Galiano of Plum had been out at Nox’s Tavern and Grille in Blawnox, drinking on the evening of Jan. 16, 2024, said Allegheny County Deputy District Attorney Kelly Naik.

Police said video footage showed her drink four beers. Her 7-month-old son, who was strapped into his car seat, was with her in the bar, the prosecutor said.

Galiano left about 6:10 p.m., driving her 2020 Jeep Compass northbound on Freeport Road. About a half-mile from the intersection with Powers Run Road, she crossed the center line, striking the Vernons’ Chevy Equinox.

Michael Vernon, 74, was killed.

The electronic data recorder — like a black box — in Galiano’s car, showed she was driving 75 mph in a 55-mph speed zone.

Her blood-alcohol concentration, police said, was 0.294% — more than three times the legal limit.

Galiano’s son, who was secured in his car seat, was taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for evaluation.

In addition to the charges filed regarding the Vernons, Galiano was also charged with endangering the welfare of children, to which she pleaded guilty.

During Tuesday’s hearing, defense attorney Kenneth Haber read a letter of support from Galiano’s father-in-law.

“We know she made a horrible decision to drink and then drive that evening,” Joseph Galiano wrote. “But we also know she did not intend to cause harm to anyone, nor has she ever intended to hurt anyone.”

He described his daughter-in-law, who worked at a day care, as a kind person whose priority was to help others.

“We hope that, through reflection, responsibility and change, this painful chapter can ultimately serve as a turning point toward Alyssa becoming a better person,” Joseph Galiano wrote.

‘You made me a widow’

Because it’s painful to stand, Maria Vernon sat at counsel table Tuesday as she read aloud her victim-impact statement.

She described to the court her extensive injuries as well as the pain of losing her husband.

They would have been married 25 years this past summer.

Vernon has lost her bottom teeth, and her hip was destroyed. Two of her ribs, she said, were ripped from her sternum. She now has mesh in her abdomen to hold in her intestines.

She spent two weeks in the hospital and nine months at a nursing home recovering.

“I remember being questioned by police in the hospital when I couldn’t even wrap my head around the fact that you made me a widow,” Vernon said. “I did not get to attend my husband’s funeral.”

She was forced to sell their home and moved in with her sister. Vernon can no longer do her job at Oakmont Bakery, where she’d worked for 36 years.

Before the crash, Vernon said, she loved her life.

“I was independent. I had no physical limitations, I owned a nice home and worked a full-time job,” she said. “My husband and I deserved to live out the rest of our lives together, in our home, with our family and friends enjoying the simple pleasures of life.”

Still, Vernon continued, “I believe that God spared my life that night because he has more for me to do. Please remember our names, Alyssa: Mike and Maria.”