Turning herself in on Friday, Allegheny County police have reported that 29-year-old Alyssa Galiano is facing serious charges stemming from a January crash in O'Hara Township. According to WTAE, Galiano, whose actions behind the wheel after allegedly drinking at a bar led to the death of a 74-year-old man, is charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI among other offenses.
An investigation by the police points to a night of drinking at Nox's Tavern and Grille in Blawnox, followed by Galiano getting into her Jeep with her infant daughter in tow and initiating a two-vehicle collision on Freeport Road near Powers Run Road. Michael Vernon, the victim from Oakmont who was traveling in the other vehicle, did not survive. As cited by WPXI, one witness observed Galiano's vehicle pulling into a median, before speeding off "like a rocket."
The crash also resulted in injuries to the 68-year-old woman steering the vehicle that Vernon was a passenger in. Both she and the drunk-driving suspect, Galiano, were required hospital treatment, like the infant that Galiano had in her backseat.
Reckless conduct on the road that night reached dangerous speeds, with the Jeep clocking in at about 75 mph at impact, a significant excess over the legal limit, which contributed to the tragedy that unfolded. Carrying the weight of a 7-month-old life in her backseat, Galiano's choice to drive was made under the haze of alcohol, police assert, tracing the decision back to local tavern indulgences, as detailed in the WPXI coverage.
