A juvenile was hit by a white pickup truck this morning in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood, then rushed to a hospital while the driver took off, according to police. The collision happened around 11 a.m. at Liberty Avenue and South Millvale Avenue, a busy corner on a heavily traveled stretch. The child was hospitalized in stable condition, and detectives have launched a hit-and-run investigation.
As reported by WTAE, officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police responded to the intersection and found the injured juvenile in the roadway. Medics transported the child to a hospital, where the victim is expected to recover. Investigators are now combing through surveillance video from nearby businesses and traffic cameras to piece together what happened and track down the white pickup.
Liberty Avenue Already On The City’s Fix-It List
Liberty Avenue is no stranger to close calls. It is a busy commercial corridor that Pittsburgh officials have already flagged for traffic-safety upgrades after data showed higher-than-average pedestrian injuries. According to the City of Pittsburgh, the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure’s Pedestrian Safety Action Plan calls for fixes such as upgraded signals and better-marked crosswalks along priority streets.
Advocates have also been pushing for changes. BikePGH highlights a Liberty Avenue Highway Safety Improvement Program project that would modernize traffic signals and rework lane configurations in an effort to cut down on serious injury crashes.
Detectives Scrub CCTV As They Hunt For Pickup
Police say every available CCTV angle around Liberty and South Millvale is under review as they work to identify the pickup and its driver, WTAE reports. The Collision Investigation Unit is leading the case. So far, investigators have not announced any arrests, charges, or public description beyond the vehicle being a white pickup.
Legal Note
Under Pennsylvania law, drivers do not get to just leave and sort it out later. State statute 75 Pa.C.S. § 3742 requires any driver involved in a crash that causes injury or death to stop, stay on scene, and render aid. Walking away from a wreck that causes serious bodily injury can be charged as a felony, and motorists must provide identifying information and help secure medical assistance, according to the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.
The investigation remains active, and police have not released further identifying details about the juvenile or the suspect vehicle. This story will be updated as authorities share more information.
