Police arrest carjacking suspect on Route 28; U-Haul employee shot when truck stolen

A carjacking and shooting near a U-Haul facility in Pittsburgh spurred a police chase that culminated in an arrest made on Route 28 during rush-hour traffic Tuesday evening, initial reports indicate.

A Pittsburgh officer was injured when the suspect’s stolen rental truck struck him in the leg during the pursuit, police said. The officer’s injury was described as minor, and city public safety officials said he transported to a local hospital in stable condition.

Pittsburgh Public Safety officials told Trib news partner WPXI-TV that during the carjacking, an employee at the U-Haul dealer on Washington Boulevard in the city’s Larimer neighborhood was shot in the neck.

The wounded employee was rushed by medics to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Shortly after 4:30 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a request for police, fire and ambulance support along Route 28 near the 31st Street Bridge, an Allegheny County 911 shift commander told the Tribune-Review. The dispatcher confirmed that the dozens of police cars swarming the highway and re-routing passing drivers were there in connection to an incident involving police in Larimer.

During the pursuit, the suspect shot at a civilian vehicle, according to city public safety officials. The vehicle was hit but the driver was not injured.

A Pittsburgh police SUV with a badly damaged rear-end was parked along the highway. A bit farther south, a smashed-up U-Haul pickup truck was wedged against the highway’s barrier.

The suspect who was arrested and taken into custody was not immediately identified. All lanes of Route 28 were reopened before 6 p.m.

Police have not released further details.

Update: The suspect was arrested on Route 28 after a pursuit. A Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officer received a minor leg injury after being struck by the suspect’s vehicle. https://t.co/zEz22uUcEr

— Pittsburgh Police (@PghPolice) July 27, 2021