Cochran Hose Company Fire Chief Shayne Quinn and another person have been charged in connection with an Allegheny County Police insurance fraud investigation.
Charges stem from an incident March 24 in front of the fire station.
Police said security video from the station shows Monica Hinda, 27, of Coraopolis go through a stop sign and crash into a parked vehicle at about 11:33 p.m. along Chestnut Street, then moving her car across the street to the station.
Quinn can be seen on camera a short time later at the fire station, according to the criminal complaint.
The complaint states Quinn picked up what appeared to be a piece of Hinda’s car, put it in the car and drove away while Hinda and another person drive away in the fire chief’s truck.
Sewickley Police Chief Dave Mazza, who is mentioned several times in the complaint and is said to have spoken to Quinn about the crash the following day, declined to comment on the case.
“The case is not being handled by the Sewickley Police Department,” Mazza said. “It is being handled by the county police department.”
The complaint states Mazza said he became aware of the incident after it was reported to the police department by the owner of the car that had been struck.
Police said Hinda spoke with investigators and told them she had initially reported the collision to her insurance company as an animal strike.
Quinn is charged with misdemeanor counts of tampering with physical evidence and hindering apprehension or prosecution.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 3 before District Judge James J. Hanley Jr.
Hinda is charged with a felony count of insurance fraud as well as summary traffic violations of failure to perform duties at stop signs and accidents involving damage to unattended vehicles. Her preliminary hearing has not been scheduled.
The fire chief’s charges were not discussed during the borough council meeting April 9.
Council vice president Julie Barnes said they could not comment on the ongoing legal matter.
