Morning Roundup: Security guard shot in leg; man hospitalized after train crash; homicide victim identified
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Oct. 5:
Police: Security guard shot in leg after approaching alleged car burglars in East Liberty
A security guard was shot in East Liberty Wednesday night after he approached several teens who were attempting to break into cars.
Pittsburgh police from Zone 5 responded at about 7:45 p.m. to the 6100 block of Station Street for reports of a gunshot fired, Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Emily Bourne said.
The guard, a 31-year-old man who police did not name, was “alert, conscious and speaking with officers” after suffering the gunshot wound to the leg, Bourne said.
“Several juvenile actors” were attempting to break into the vehicles in a nearby parking lot, Bourne said.
Police did not identify where the security guard worked, but a large parking lot for Home Depot is located near the 6100 block of Station Street, near the road’s intersection with North Highland Avenue.
Medics took the guard to an area hospital in stable condition, Bourne said. Police are investigating.
Man hospitalized after train crash
A man was hospitalized late Wednesday after driving his vehicle onto railroad tracks in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood and colliding with a westbound train.
Pittsburgh police, firefighters and EMS responded at about 10:40 p.m. to the train tracks at South 16th Street for reports of the collision, police spokeswoman Emily Bourne said.
After hitting the train, the driver, a man in his late 60s who police did not name, was “pushed back several blocks,” Bourne said. The driver was the only person in the car.
“He was extremely lucky that this train was already slowing down,” said Bourne, according to Tribune-Review news partner WTAE. “That’s a lot of weight and it takes a long time to slow a train of that weight. He was extremely lucky.”
The driver was taken to an area hospital in stable condition for evaluation, Bourne said. The railroad tracks remained closed while the vehicle was being extricated.
CSX police, a division of the Jacksonville, Fla.-based transportation company CSX Corp., will investigate the collision.
Homicide victim identified
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim of a Sept. 24 homicide in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood.
Davondre Bruce, 27, of Homestead showed up at a local hospital in a private vehicle after he was shot in the chest, authorities said. He died of his injuries at 4:48 a.m.
The medical examiner has not determined a cause or manner of death yet.
Pittsburgh police initially said the shooting might have happened in the 1500 block of Lincoln Avenue. The medical examiner on Wednesday also cited that address as the location of the shooting.
Police later found a vehicle struck by gunfire and other ballistic evidence in the area.
No arrests have been announced.
Sewickley Bridge restrictions
There will be a short-term lane restriction on the Sewickley Bridge starting Thursday night, weather permitting, PennDOT said.
Single-lane alternating traffic will occur on the bridge, which is based in Moon Township and Sewickley, from 7 p.m. Thursday to about 5 a.m. Friday, PennDOT spokeswoman Nicole Haney said.
Crews from JET Excavating Company will conduct repair work on an expansion dam on the bridge, Haney said. Flaggers will assist motorists through the work zone.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com.
Youth football coach accused of assault
A youth football coach is accused of assaulting an official in front of kids in Fayette County, according to Tribune-Review news partner WTAE.
The incident happened Sunday during an Albert Gallatin game when Trevor Yeager, 34, of Masontown, didn’t like a decision and the two started talking, WTAE reported. Yeager allegedly ended up lunging at the official and started choking him.
Coaches and school security broke up the scuffle, WTAE reported. Police said the official had visible cuts.
Yeager was charged Wednesday with assault on a sports official and harassment, court records show.
Yeager has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 15 in front of District Judge Daniel C. Shimshock in a Masontown court, records show.
No attorney for Yeager was listed in the court record.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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