Morning Roundup: Police say man set fire in Waterworks Giant Eagle; pedestrian hit by car succumbs to injuries
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Oct. 3:
Man faces arson charges over Giant Eagle fire
A man was arrested Thursday after allegedly sparking a fire in the Giant Eagle Market District at the Waterworks in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood.
Police said Russell Weleski, 33, set fire to a booth at the store’s cafe just after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to TribLive news partner WTAE.
WTAE reported Weleski was arrested Thursday morning at a nearby McDonald’s.
Weleski is facing charges of arson, criminal mischief and causing or risking catastrophe. He was denied bail, according to online court records.
Woman hit by car days ago in South Side dies from injuries
A woman who was hit by a car in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood Tuesday died, public safety officials said.
The victim — identified as a woman in her late 70s — was struck while crossing the road at Sidney and South 28 streets. She was taken to the hospital with serious head trauma and died Wednesday, public safety officials said.
The driver stayed on the scene and cooperated with the investigation.
The city’s crash response team, including the Pittsburgh Police Collision Investigation Unit, will evaluate potential crash factors at the site in the coming weeks, officials said.
Traffic-calming efforts underway in Mt. Washington
Pittsburgh officials on Thursday said crews were working to install traffic-calming measures in the Mt. Washington neighborhood in an effort to get drivers to obey the speed limit and improve safety.
Five new speed tables will be added along Southern Avenue, along with pavement markings and signs to alert drivers.
A traffic study showed 63% of drivers there exceeded the 25 mile-per-hour speed limit on the road, with drivers reaching a maximum speed of 72 miles per hour on the stretch.
Construction started Thursday and is expected to last two days.
Julia Burdelski is a TribLive reporter covering Pittsburgh City Hall and other news in and around Pittsburgh. A La Roche University graduate, she joined the Trib in 2020. She can be reached at jburdelski@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.