Man pleads guilty in 2019 McKees Rocks Bridge crash that killed woman
A McKees Rocks man pleaded guilty Thursday to causing a crash that killed a woman in 2019 on the McKees Rocks Bridge.
Christopher Vuckovich, 42, pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle and related counts stemming from the Feb. 15, 2019 crash.
In exchange for the plea, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office agreed to waive the mandatory minimum sentence of three years in state prison. Vuckovich will be sentenced by Common Pleas Judge Kelly Bigley on April 27.
According to investigators, Vuckovich was driving a 2006 Dodge Durango across the bridge just before 9 p.m. when he crossed the center double yellow line and struck multiple vehicles in the opposite lane, injuring eight people.
Terry Hamilton, 54, died two months later on April 2, 2019.
Vuckovich’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.11%, according to a criminal complaint. The legal limit in Pennsylvania is 0.08%. Investigators also said he was traveling 62 mph in a 35 mph speed zone.
He also pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and driving under the influence.
Paula Reed Ward is a TribLive reporter covering federal and Allegheny County courts. She joined the Trib in 2020 after spending nearly 17 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where she was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. She is the author of “Death by Cyanide.” She can be reached at pward@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.