A semi-truck driver had a rough time navigating the narrow streets of Pittsburgh over the weekend, and the situation ended with a historic World War I memorial lying on its side just days before Veterans Day.
The incident happened in the early hours of November 8, in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill neighborhood. Surveillance footage captured a tractor-trailer struggling to maneuver out of a parking lot along Lowrie Street before striking a memorial honoring local World War I veterans.
The truck eventually made it out of the area, but the driver left without remaining at the scene, resulting in a police investigation.
According to CBS Pittsburgh, the trucker’s trouble began shortly before 4 a.m. when a tractor-trailer became stuck while attempting to navigate the neighborhood’s tight streets. Nearby residents were awakened by the sound of the truck’s engine and tires as the driver tried to get moving again. Witnesses told the news station that the driver spent several minutes struggling to maneuver the rig. Surveillance footage reportedly shows the truck finally getting moving, crossing a grassy area, and striking the memorial with its trailer while making a turn.
The impact knocked the monument off its base and damaged several decorative bronze pieces. The memorial stands on a traffic island near the intersection of Lowrie and Ley streets.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said officers were initially dispatched after receiving a report of a semi-truck that was either stuck or illegally parked in the roadway. While officers were on their way, dispatchers received additional information that the truck had struck a utility pole and the nearby memorial.
By the time authorities arrived, the truck driver had left the scene.
Watch the video here:
The damage reportedly extended beyond the memorial. In a report from WPXI, several residents said the tractor-trailer also scraped parked vehicles while maneuvering through the neighborhood.
One resident, Henry Pyatt, told the station that his vehicle was among those damaged. Another neighbor, Gary Grzandziel, said he witnessed the truck moving toward the memorial and called 911 after seeing the situation unfold. The incident has also raised questions among residents about whether the driver was following GPS directions that weren’t suitable for a large commercial truck.
Although the driver’s exact route and navigation method have not been confirmed, neighbors told WPXI that large trucks have had difficulty navigating Troy Hill’s narrow streets before.
The timing of the incident made the damage particularly upsetting for the neighborhood. According to CBS Pittsburgh, the memorial was originally installed in 1920 and honors Troy Hill residents who served during World War I. The monument has been a part of the community for more than a century, but this isn’t the first time a vehicle has knocked it over.
WTAE reported that the memorial was previously struck in 2010 and again in 2014. Following those incidents, changes were made to the surrounding intersection in an effort to protect it from passing vehicles. Unfortunately, those improvements weren’t enough to prevent this latest incident.
With Veterans Day falling just after the incident, residents were left looking at a damaged memorial meant to recognize the service of their community’s veterans.
According to WPXI’s update, crews returned to the scene and worked to put the monument back upright. However, questions remain about the extent of the damage and what additional repairs may be necessary. Pittsburgh police have been reviewing neighborhood surveillance footage to identify the truck driver involved.
CBS Pittsburgh also reported that police were looking into a possible connection with another tractor-trailer incident in nearby Reserve Township. Authorities there had shared information about a truck that became stuck and caused minor property damage. Investigators had not confirmed whether the incidents involved the same vehicle.
Residents are now hoping the city considers stronger barriers or additional changes to the intersection to prevent the historic memorial from being struck again.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Pittsburgh Police Zone 1 at 412-323-7201.
