Fundraiser set for Latrobe woman hit by pickup truck

A fundraiser Sunday for a Latrobe woman who remains hospitalized after a hit-and-run will hopefully ease some of the burden on her two sons, Union Mission director Dan Carney said.

All proceeds from the spaghetti dinner at Latrobe American Legion Post 515 will benefit Mary Bathurst, 42, and her family. Bathurst was seriously injured Jan. 22.

“She was the breadwinner for that family, the support system, the everything,” Carney said.

Bathurst, a facility attendant at the men’s shelter, was taking out the trash with a couple of residents before 6 p.m. when she was hit by a red pickup. State police said the collision knocked her 40 feet, where she slammed into a wooden fence.

The driver stopped briefly along Harrison Avenue in Derry Township, just outside Latrobe, and spoke to a witness before fleeing the scene. Bobby Paul Bryer, 30, is suspected of being behind the wheel. He surrendered to police Friday.

Troopers were still looking for the pickup Monday.

Carney said shelter employees are trying to raise money in an effort to ease some of the worry and concern for Bathurst’s sons. The two are young adults, one of whom is still in high school, he said.

“We’re trying to help look at the short- and long-term things because we don’t know,” he said. “We want to leverage that spirit of community caring to support this family.”

The fundraiser will be from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $10. There will be basket and 50-50 raffles. The legion is at 1811 Ligonier St., Latrobe.

Bryer, 30, is charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, accidents involving death or personal injury and several related offenses, including speeding. His address is less than a half-mile from Union Mission.

Investigators were led to Bryer through interviews with an acquaintance and his wife.

The acquaintance told troopers Bryer visited her home Jan. 23 and mentioned to her husband he hit something on the side of the road the night before after drinking, according to court papers. Police said Bryer’s wife told them he left the home to pick up food and, when he returned, he acknowledged hitting a person, police say. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the pickup is asked to call 911 or the state police Kiski station at 724-697-5780. Anyone who tries to fix the truck or hide it could face a tampering with evidence charge, police said.