A Pittsburgh man faces felony charges following a hit-and-run incident that occurred early Christmas Eve morning on I-279, resulting in severe injury to a Good Samaritan. According to CBS News Pittsburgh, Jeremy Michael Smith has been charged with accidents involving injury, alongside a slew of traffic violations. The collision took place near the McKnight Road exit when the victim was hit by a black Dodge Ram 1500 as he attempted to help the driver of a disabled Ford Focus.
Despite the grim scenario, Pennsylvania State Police managed to make headway in the case thanks largely to tips from the public after the victim's family offered a $10,000 reward. A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police, Rocco Gagliardi, disclosed in a statement detailed by WPXI that " tips were photos taken by Smith of the crash and messages he sent “bragging” about the crash to his friends." These advancements in the investigation were pivotal in charging Smith.
Further to the tragedy, as troopers responded to the initial hit-and-run, a second collision occurred when a Toyota 4Runner collided with a state police vehicle, landing two officers in a hospital – though, unlike Smith, that driver remained at the scene. Pieces of vehicle debris found after the first collision and subsequent surveillance through license plate readers were instrumental in tracing and identifying Smith's 2021 Dodge Ram, which matched the evidence and was later seized.
If Smith does not turn himself in, authorities have stated that a warrant will be issued for his arrest.
