Two dead after car flies off Pittsburgh bridge in horror 5-vehicle smash | World | News
Two people died after a horrific accident in which five vehicles collided and caused one car to fly off a bridge. The tragic accident occurred near the Fort Duquesne Bridge in Pittsburgh, causing traffic to stop for several hours during rush hour.
The incident occurred around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, just a few miles from Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and forced the closure of southbound Route 65 at the Fort Duquesne Bridge on-ramp. An SUV involved in the crash rolled off a bridge and crashed on Reedsdale Avenue near Acrisure Stadium on the North Side, killing the driver, authorities said. The driver was identified as 52-year-old Michael Smith, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office.
A woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition after being rescued “by the jaw of life,” but later died, Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said. He has not yet been identified.
“It’s a truly tragic scene here during rush hour today, many witnesses probably had to see this heartbreaking scene,” Cruz said.
Authorities believe no one else involved in the crash suffered serious injuries. Images taken from the scene show that four vehicles were still on the bridge after the terrible collision, and the debris was scattered on the road.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the crash, but Pittsburgh Police Chief Jason Lando said he often sees drivers speeding on Route 65.
He said: “We are very early in the investigation so I don’t want to speculate, but we all know that overturning a bridge deck requires quite a significant amount of speed and force.
“I go home this way every day, people are constantly flying past me on the way home, so please slow down. We want people to get home safely.”
Lando described the crash as a “pretty complicated scene” that caused “significant traffic delays.” The ramp from Route 65 into the city remained closed for several hours during rush hour as authorities investigated and cleared the area.
PennDOT said the roadway was finally reopened shortly before 7 p.m.
