Police: Victim Dragged Several Blocks In Fatal Hit And Run Accident
PENN HILLS, Pa. (KDKA) -- Police are searching for the driver involved in a fatal hit and run accident in which the victim was dragged by the vehicle for several blocks.
Allegheny County Police say the victim, identified as 51-year-old Joseph Morris, was walking home from his cleaning job at the Duquesne Light substation when he was a struck by a vehicle near the corner of Hershey and Hamilton Roads around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
Police say Morris was then dragged by the vehicle for 2,700 feet -- from the middle of Hershey Road and then onto Universal Road and around the bend, where he was found. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
"It was either the first of the second most gruesome thing that I've seen in my career here," said Chief Bill Jeffcoat of Penn Hills Fire Station No. 7. He first responded to the accident Sunday night.
KDKA's Lisa Washington reported from the scene Monday morning:
A photo of the suspect's vehicle has since been released, but police say they're not releasing the specific make and model, nor any description of the suspect.
KDKA's Pam Surano reports that McCullough Tire, one of the businesses along Universal Road, believes they may have caught the car involved in the hit and run accident on their surveillance camera.
"I saw a body in the middle of the road, drag marks on the road," said Shane Mastay, whose family owns McCullough Tire. "Whenever you see [the car] go up the hill, you can see the back end of the bumper and you can see the brake lights. Looking at those brake lights -- You look on Google, it looks just like a Lincoln MKZ brake light."
Mastay says the business has turned the footage over to investigators.
Universal Road was closed for several hours following the accident while the scene was investigated. It re-opened around 3 a.m. Monday.
Morris also worked on the housekeeping staff at Edgewood Country Club.
Allegheny County Police are still asking anyone with information concerning the incident to call their tipline at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477).
