- The driver told police he believed he had placed his vehicle securely in Park.
- An eyewitness said the driver ran after the car in a desperate attempt.
- Five of the six people injured in the crash were transported to local hospitals.
Six people were injured in Pittsburgh when a runaway Kia Soul rolled into a crowd during a neighborhood festival, leaving three in serious but stable condition at local hospitals. The incident disrupted what had been a lively community gathering and raised questions about how the vehicle came to move unattended.
Read: Kia Recall Under Investigation After Dozens Claim Fix Fails To Stop Problems Tied To Engine Fires
Local authorities were called to Broad Street and Centre Avenue in the East Liberty neighborhood just before 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, following reports that a car had struck a crowd of festival attendees. When officers arrived, they found the owner of the Kia still on the scene, confirming that no one had been behind the wheel when the vehicle began to roll.
How the vehicle moved
Police said the male owner of the Soul was cooperative and explained that he believed he had shifted the vehicle into park before stepping away. Investigators noted that he may have forgotten to do so, or that the car could have slipped out of gear on its own and begun to roll. The incident underscores the value of engaging the parking brake whenever a vehicle is left unattended
The Kia struck five women and one man. Five of the individuals were transported to local hospitals, three in serious but stable conditions and two in stable condition. The remaining adult hit by the car was evaluated at the scene but refused to be transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Witness account
According to Ricco J.L. Martello, who was a photographer at the event, the driver of the Kia ran after the car in a desperate attempt to stop it before it struck anyone.
“I put the camera up to take a photo,” he told WTAE. “And next thing I know, I see the car coming up in lanes. I dropped the camera, and they were … it was already too late. They were already getting hit.”
Police have indicated that charges are unlikely, describing the crash as a “purely accidental” event.
