Baldwin man gets 2 to 4 years for crash that killed cyclist in Brookline

A Baldwin man will serve two to four years in prison after pleading guilty Friday to killing a cyclist in a crash on Brookline Boulevard in 2019.

Thomas Morton, 24, must also serve seven years of probation after pleading to homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence and other counts before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kelly Bigley.

Austin Fike, 22, of Brookline was struck after 9 p.m. on Oct. 20, 2019, as he rode a motorized bike at the intersection of Brookline Boulevard and Pioneer Avenue.

Police said that Morton did not have a driver’s license and that his blood alcohol level was 0.12% — above the state’s legal limit of 0.08%.

During Friday’s hearing, Fike’s loved ones described him as kind, loving, happy and hardworking. He had a young son, Austin Jr., whom he adored. Since his father’s death, Fike’s mother said, Austin Jr. now gravitates toward male figures.

Robin Fike told the court that her son’s death has left an emptiness inside her.

“I am also mourning the loss of so many hopes and dreams and expectations,” she wrote in a victim impact statement.

The night of the crash, Fike’s family was able to see him in the hospital before he died. Robin Fike said she now has visions of that night, causing her to relive the scene over and over.

“What was Austin’s last thought? Was he scared? Did he see the car coming at him? Did he try to avoid it? Did he suffer?” she asked.

Fike’s grandmother, Eileen Fike, told the court that he loved spending time with their whole family and looked forward to annual trips to the beach together. The trip in 2019 was the first year Fike was able to take his own son with them, she wrote.

“I loved watching his excitement leading up to it,” Eileen Fike told the court. “He wanted his son to enjoy the beach and our yearly vacation as much as he did.”

Fike’s aunt told Bigley that her nephew “loved with all of his heart.”