A tractor-trailer slammed into Troy Hill's World War I memorial overnight, knocking the granite monument from its base before the driver sped off without stopping. Pittsburgh police are now combing through area camera footage trying to identify who was behind the wheel, and the honor roll monument at Lowrie and Ley streets is left damaged yet again after decades of standing watch over the neighborhood.
The crash caused significant damage to the monument, including broken decorative bronze pieces, according to WTAE. The memorial sits at the intersection of Lowrie Street and Ley Street in Troy Hill, as a report relayed via Yahoo News notes. A nearby utility pole was also struck in the collision. Surveillance video obtained by CBS News Pittsburgh shows the tractor-trailer crashing into and toppling the memorial, with KDKA-TV's Ricky Sayer reporting on the footage.
Driver Fled Before Police Arrived
The driver did not remain on scene, and police are currently reviewing area camera footage to try to identify who was driving, the station's report states. Reported timing on the incident has varied: WTAE's account places the crash at approximately 4 a.m. Saturday, while WPXI reported the semi toppled the memorial and struck the pole before fleeing early Sunday, Nov. 8, according to WPXI's photo coverage of the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call Zone 1 police at 412-323-7201, per the same account.
A Monument With a Troubled History
The Troy Hill memorial is described by the American Legion as a triangular granite honor roll monument with bronze tablets listing those from Troy Hill who served in World War I, located at Lowrie Square in the 1700 block of Lowrie Street at Ley Street, according to the American Legion's memorial registry. This is not the first time a vehicle has struck the tribute. It was hit by a vehicle in 2010 and again in 2014, the earlier report notes.
In the 2014 incident, a driver said he hit a patch of ice and slid into the memorial, according to the same Yahoo News report. No such explanation has surfaced for the latest crash, and with the driver still unidentified, it remains unclear what led the semi-truck into the monument before speeding away.
