What should have been a routine dismissal outside Westinghouse Academy in Homewood turned violent in seconds when an SUV allegedly driven by an intoxicated motorist jumped the curb last fall and plowed into a 12-year-old student and a staff member. The boy suffered severe lower-body injuries that required emergency surgery, and the staffer was also hospitalized. New court filings this week say the driver’s blood-alcohol level was well over the legal limit.
Court documents filed this week identify the driver as 57-year-old Nickeya C. Mitchell, who is now charged with aggravated assault by vehicle with DUI and related offenses, according to WPXI. Investigators say surveillance video shows an SUV rolling through a stop sign, turning onto Monticello Street, and drifting right onto the sidewalk, where it struck the two victims. According to the filing, the student remains hospitalized, and the staff member continues to undergo treatment.
How Police Say It Happened
Police say first responders were dispatched around 3 p.m. on Oct. 15 to the intersection of North Murtland and Monticello Streets for a reported vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash. Investigators report the SUV hopped the curb and pinned the student and adult between the vehicle and a low retaining wall, causing traumatic lower-extremity injuries to the boy. City officials say medics administered whole blood at the scene before rushing him to UPMC Children’s Hospital for surgery. The Collision Investigation Unit is still reviewing camera footage and witness accounts as it pieces together the chain of events, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety.
What the Criminal Complaint Says
According to the criminal complaint, Mitchell told investigators she swerved to avoid another vehicle and accidentally hit the accelerator. A passenger reportedly told police the SUV’s steering felt loose. Officers say they found open containers inside the vehicle and that Mitchell failed field sobriety tests. Subsequent lab work allegedly measured her blood-alcohol content at about 0.15 percent, details laid out in recent court records and local coverage from WTAE.
School and Neighborhood Response
Pittsburgh Public Schools and Westinghouse staff have offered support to the two victims and renewed calls to prioritize student safety near dismissal and bus-loading zones. District officials say the boy and a one-to-one classroom assistant were waiting for transportation when the SUV hit them, according to WPXI. The stretch of Murtland Street has already been targeted for new traffic-calming measures aimed at improving safety for students and other pedestrians.
What’s Next
Mitchell now faces criminal charges and is scheduled to appear in court as the case moves forward and prosecutors review the complaint and supporting evidence. Police say the Collision Investigation Unit will continue its probe while the criminal case proceeds, according to reporting and video from CBS Pittsburgh. City and school officials say they plan to continue working with investigators and the community as more information becomes available.
