Police: Driver Hits Road Crew Worker, Drags Telephone Wire For 2 Miles
PENN TOWNSHIP (KDKA) - A man is accused of speeding through a work zone in Penn Township, hitting a worker and snagging a wire with his truck.
According to the criminal complaint, the incident happened Wednesday around 8 p.m. in the area of Bushy Run Road (State Route 993) and Claridge-Elliot Road.
The complaint states that a crew was working to repair telephone lines that were downed in an earlier incident, when a maroon Ford truck refused to stop for a worker waving a baton.
The driver, identified as 26-year-old Cody Mattei, allegedly swore at workers and laughed before stepping on the gas and hitting worker Chris Gage in the hip.
"Mr. Mattei comes to the construction zone and barrels past the first flagger," said Chief John Otto, of Penn Township Police. "The second flagger attempted to get Mr. Mattei to stop because there were wires across the road."
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According to the complaint, Mattei didn't stop, and snagged one of the fallen wires with his truck. The wire eventually hit a worker in the head, causing her head injuries.
Mattei then sped off, heading south on Bushy Run Road at a high rate of speed, driving through a stop sign. With the wire still snagged on his truck, he pulled the wire off of telephone poles for about two miles.
He eventually turned onto State Route 130 and headed east, trailed by a man, whose car was hit by the snagged wire.
The witness told police that he saw Mattei crash his truck into the Harrison City Lawn and Garden, and that Mattei was thrown from the vehicle.
"It was a very short period of time after that Mr. Mattei exit the highway, rolled his vehicle several time and was ejected from that vehicle," said Chief Otto.
According to the complaint, Mattei said he had 15 to 20 beers and had injected heroin around one to two hours prior. Authorities say he was also wanted on a parole violation.
"His driver's license is suspended. The registration for the vehicle is invalid, and he has no insurance on the vehicle," said Officer Otto.
In the vehicle, police say they also found some other items.
Some jewelry, lawn-type devices - leave blowers things along those lines, a lot of drug paraphernalia had been ejected from the vehicle as well," Officer Otto said. "We've got to connect some dots, find out where he was and if those items in the vehicle are his."
He was taken to Forbes Hospital, and is expected to face a list of charges including, aggravated assault, reckless driving and driving under the influence.
