An early Sunday crash on Pittsburgh's Liberty Bridge turned deadly when a three-car collision left one person dead and several others injured after one vehicle burst into flames. Firefighters and rescue crews worked through the pre-dawn darkness to free people pinned in the burning car and clear the twisted wreckage from the span.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said police were dispatched just before 1 a.m. and arrived to find a three-vehicle crash with one car fully engulfed, three people trapped inside, and debris scattered across the bridge, according to WTAE. Officers put out the fire and pulled an adult man and an adult woman from the burning vehicle; a third adult female passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, the outlet reported. The man driving a second vehicle was evaluated by the Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS and did not need to be taken to the hospital, while the occupant of the third vehicle was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. The city's Accident Investigation Unit was called in to take over the case.
Traffic Snarled While Investigators Work
PennDOT said the bridge is expected to be closed until 6 a.m. Sunday, WTAE reported, forcing drivers to find workarounds for the key Monongahela River crossing in the early morning hours. Investigators with the Accident Investigation Unit remained on scene to document the damage, collect evidence, and try to piece together how the violent collision unfolded, officials said.
Deadly Crash Fits Troubling Pattern
Crashes that shut down major downtown crossings are not rare along the riverfront corridor, where heavy traffic and tricky connections have produced several high-impact wrecks on bridges and in the Liberty Tunnel in recent years. A multi-vehicle crash inside the Liberty Tunnel previously snarled traffic and prompted a large emergency response.
Officials have not released the names of those involved or said whether impairment, speed, or a mechanical problem may have played a role in Sunday morning's crash. They urged anyone who witnessed the wreck or who has video to contact Pittsburgh police. More information is expected as investigators review evidence and notify next of kin.
