Here are some of the most recent news items from this morning, Monday, April 1:
Jeannette man sought in Swissvale crash
A Jeannette man is wanted by the police for causing a crash in Swissvale while he was impaired. An arrest warrant was issued over the weekend.
The backhoe driver was seriously hurt when he was thrown through protective glass and landed in the backhoe's scoop, according to court documents.
33-year-old Benjamin M. Hall was unresponsive in a car at the crash, but police revived him using Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal drug. Police found stamp bags of drugs inside the car.
On March 19 around 10:30 p.m., a crew from Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority was working at the intersection of South Braddock and Shroyer avenues when the crash occurred, according to borough police.
Witnesses said the car Hall was driving was speeding on South Braddock Avenue and crashed into the backhoe without braking. Police didn't see any skid marks and the car was severely damaged.
Hall's passenger told police they had recently used drugs. After Hall was revived, he was taken to a hospital. A blood test showed he had drugs, including cocaine and fentanyl, in his system, police said.
The water authority crew couldn’t continue their work that day, according to police.
Hall is accused of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and related offenses.
2 W.Pa. counties eligible for disaster loans amid Baltimore bridge collapse
Two Western Pennsylvania counties are eligible for low-interest economic injury disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration as a result of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.
Small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Fayette and Somerset counties can apply for a loan of up to $2 million to help overcome any loss of revenue related to the March 26 collapse. The funding can be put toward normal operating expenses, such as payroll, according to the administration.
Interest rates range from 3.25% to 4%, depending on the type of organization applying. Those applications can be handled online at sba.gov/disaster. The disaster declaration covers all of Maryland, as well as contiguous counties in neighboring states.
Crews continue the process of removing the bridge’s wreckage from the river in Baltimore. Six people died in the collapse.
Pittsburgh man arrested in human trafficking probe
A Pittsburgh man is facing charges in Ohio after being arrested in connection with a human trafficking investigation, according to TribLive news partner WTAE.
Wesley Theberge, 29, was taken into custody in Columbiana County by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. Authorities said Theberge responded to an advertisement on a website promoting prostitution. They reportedly found him to be in possession of images and videos of child pornography.
He was being held at the Columbiana County Jail, according to WTAE.
