Port Authority bus driver involved in Fern Hollow Bridge collapse takes 1st step in suing Pittsburgh

A Port Authority of Allegheny County driver who was driving a bus over Pittsburgh’s Fern Hollow Bridge when it collapsed in January has filed notice that he intends to sue the City of Pittsburgh.

Daryl Luciani and his wife, Karen Luciani, filed a motion Monday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court asking the city to provide a number of records, reports and documents related to the bridge collapse.

Luciani was driving the 61B bus across the 447-foot-long bridge at about 6:40 a.m. Jan. 28 when it gave way underneath him, falling 100 feet into the ravine below.

Luciani’s bus was headed outbound that morning on its Braddock-Swissvale run and had nearly reached the eastern side of the bridge when it began to fall.

He told Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV that he could feel the collapse, as the bus began to bounce and shake.

The motion filed Monday said Luciani suffered serious physical and mental injuries, while his wife suffered the loss of spousal consortium.

The motion said the city knew the bridge was in poor condition and required repairs. It also alleges that the city hired, contracted or consulted with various agencies to perform that work.

The motion said the Lucianis are seeking information so they can properly identify the entities responsible for what occurred. That includes inspection reports, photographs, videos, maintenance reports, correspondence among governmental agencies and requests for proposal or bids for such work, along with payments made regarding work or service performed on the bridge.

The request seeks information from 2011 through the present.

A Penn Hills couple injured in the collapse previously announced plans to sue Port Authority, PennDOT and the city of Pittsburgh.

At least eight others were injured in the collapse.