Gibsonia man charged in fatal hit-and-run in McCandless last March

A Gibsonia man has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed a 78-year-old pedestrian last year in McCandless.

Karl Vincent Scott, 36, was arraigned Wednesday, Feb. 7, charged by McCandless police with causing an accident involving death or injury.

Police say Scott struck Donald Leach of Wexford at about 10:15 p.m. on March 11 as Leach was crossing McKnight Road at Blazier Drive. Leach was dead at the scene, caused by extensive blunt force trauma.

Images captured by a camera on an approaching Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus show Leach walking from the direction of the Target store on Blazier Drive where he worked, followed by a body being struck by the front passenger side of a dark sedan, according to a criminal complaint filed by McCandless Patrolman Kyle Allshouse. The victim was seen “immediately falling to the ground,” Allshouse wrote.

Police said the crash occurred near the Pine Creek Shopping Center.

Allshouse said investigators narrowed the search for the involved hit-and-run car through a mirror and other vehicle debris left at the scene and a license plate number captured by a plate reader in Pine Township.

Police traced the license to a 2017 Honda Accord owned by a relative of Scott’s, according to the complaint.

An examination of the car showed it was missing a passenger side mirror and had significant damage to the front bumper, hood and front windshield on that side of the vehicle, Allshouse said.

He said the damage “was consistent with the damage that should be observed from a pedestrian strike.”

Using evidence recovered from the scene, Allshouse said he was able to reconstruct the passenger side mirror and lower passenger side front bumper of the Scott car.

According to the complaint, during an interview in the presence of his attorney, Scott told police he was driving the car on March 11 when he struck an object while headed north on McKnight Road at Blazier Drive.

Scott said he thought he’d hit a deer and continued driving home, then found no deer hair or fur when he later examined the damage, according to the complaint.

According to Allshouse, Scott told police that he slowed down but did not stop after striking the object and “never thought it was necessary to follow up with the police.”

Scott was released on his own recognizance. He is facing a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Matthew J. Brungo.

According to court records, Scott is represented by Pittsburgh attorney Albert Paul Veverka, who could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday night.