A Troy Hill man is accused of pepper-spraying a Pittsburgh Water crew worker and threatening a worker on another nearby project with a gun before running over one of the workers with his car, all within roughly 35 seconds, according to investigators. The confrontation began on Lowrie Street after officers say the man had already assaulted his girlfriend outside a nearby home.
Zone 1 police officers were dispatched at approximately 12:45 p.m. to the 2100 block of Lowrie Street in Troy Hill following initial reports of an active domestic assault occurring outside a residence, according to a Pittsburgh Public Safety Department statement. Police identified the suspect as 33-year-old Matthew Dougherty, who authorities say assaulted his girlfriend at a home on Lowrie Street, according to WTAE.
Investigators say Dougherty confronted a nearby road crew working on a water main replacement project. Per the station's report, a worker on another nearby project said Dougherty threatened workers with a gun. WTAE reported that Dougherty pepper-sprayed and punched a female water worker before the situation turned deadly serious for her husband, who was also on the crew. One water crew worker told WTAE that the entire incident unfolded in just 35 seconds.
Gun Pulled Over a Jackhammer Complaint
According to the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department statement, Dougherty retrieved a gun from his house and demanded that workers stop using a jackhammer on a neighbor's home. The worker who told WTAE he was threatened with a gun was working on another nearby project. The woman's husband, a contracted utility crew member, stepped in to help her after Dougherty pepper-sprayed and punched her, WTAE reported.
Witnesses said the injured construction worker was alert at the scene after being struck by Dougherty's car, per the same account relayed to WTAE. WTAE reported that the man was taken to the hospital in stable condition. The Pittsburgh Public Safety Department statement later reported the hit-and-run victim was transported to a local hospital in stable condition after emergency medical personnel evaluated everyone involved at the scene. The worker's wife, also employed on the crew, refused medical treatment and accompanied her husband to the hospital, WTAE reported.
Suspect Ditched Car, Fled on Foot
After striking the male worker with his car, Dougherty abandoned the vehicle in the 1300 block of Lowrie Street and fled on foot before being taken into custody, according to the Public Safety Department statement. WTAE reported that Dougherty was taken into custody shortly after the incident.
The Lowrie Street corridor has seen heightened construction activity in recent weeks. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has active water main and lead service line replacement work designated along the 1400 block of Lowrie Street, according to Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority records, and the City of Pittsburgh began a masonry and structural rehabilitation project on the nearby Lowrie Street Bridge this month, according to WPXI.
Enhanced Charges Possible Under State Law
A proposed law would increase penalties for assaults against municipal workers. The ACLU of Pennsylvania says HB 956 would make simple assault against municipal workers performing official duties a second-degree felony carrying up to 10 years in prison, according to the ACLU of Pennsylvania.
Separately, striking a worker with a vehicle inside an active work zone can trigger additional penalties. Under Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Title 75, fines for specified violations, including speeding, careless driving and disobeying traffic-control devices, are doubled in active work zones, according to Frischman & Rizza. WTAE reported that, as of Monday morning, Dougherty was facing multiple assault charges.
The case underscores a workplace protection dimension as well. Under a municipal ordinance updated by the City of Pittsburgh in December 2021, employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees who are victims of domestic violence and must grant reasonable workplace safety accommodations, according to Ogletree Deakins. Troy Hill has drawn scrutiny over public safety before, including an unresolved hillside death probe from last fall, though that case remains unconnected to Monday's incident.
