A security guard was left fighting for his life Wednesday night after an unauthorized vehicle pushed past a barricade and plowed into a closed-off area set up for the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Tune-Up at SouthSide Works. Witnesses said the guard, who had been staffing the barrier, was hit and rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
Around 7:45 p.m., Pittsburgh Police from Zone 3, along with Pittsburgh Fire and Pittsburgh EMS, were called to South 28th Street and Sidney Street in the South Side Flats, according to the City of Pittsburgh. Responders found an adult man in the roadway with injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle and transported him to a hospital in critical condition. Witnesses told officers the vehicle pushed into the closed event area and hit both the security worker and a barricade.
Driver fled; car recovered for processing
According to WPXI, the driver took off after the crash, leaving the victim and the damaged barricade behind. Police later found the suspect vehicle abandoned in the 4700 block of Baum Boulevard. Authorities said the car was recovered and will be processed for evidence while Collision Investigation Unit detectives continue their work. No arrests have been made.
What the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix does here
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix runs a string of car shows and street events around the city each July, with a Tune-Up party at SouthSide Works scheduled in the days leading into Race Weekend, according to the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association. During these public-street festivities, organizers depend on barricades, volunteers and contracted security to keep crowds separated from event traffic and display vehicles.
Investigation under way
Collision Investigation Unit detectives are handling the case, and the city said the recovered vehicle will be examined for additional evidence, according to the City of Pittsburgh. In hit-and-run cases like this, investigators typically canvass nearby businesses, review surveillance footage and re-interview witnesses as they work to identify and locate the driver.
Legal note
Under Pennsylvania law, drivers involved in crashes that cause injury are required to stop at the scene and stay long enough to meet their information and aid obligations; see 75 Pa.C.S. § 3742 and the related duty to give information and render aid (§ 3744). Leaving the scene after causing injury can bring misdemeanor or felony charges, depending on how seriously someone is hurt.
Officials have not released the guard’s name, and authorities have not said whether the car was stolen or what might have motivated the driver. Police are asking anyone with information or video from the area to contact Pittsburgh Police. No arrests had been reported as of the latest update, WPXI noted.
