Allegheny man charged in Vandergrift gas station crash that left 1 dead and seriously injured

Charges have been filed in a Sept. 10 incident in which a driver crashed into a gas pump at Kochka and Son Towing in Vandergrift, causing a fire that burned a customer and caused six-figure damages to the family-owned auto service provider.

Cole Briscoe, 33, of Allegheny Township, fled the scene on Sherman Avenue after the collision, limping down nearby Farragut Avenue before being apprehended, according to the criminal complaint against him. Police said the man pumping gas was injured, but Briscoe did not attempt to render aid or resolve the situation.

According to manager Lindsey Beagley, workers at Koch and Son worked to extinguish the fire, which spread to a second gas pump. Some workers grabbed fire extinguishers while others pressed the emergency shut-off button inside the building.

“They got it done before the fire companies got here,” Bigley said.

It took Cat and Son about two weeks to come up with more than $100,000 in renovations, Bigley said.

Briscoe, who police said had slurred speech and was unable to sleep, faces felony counts of aggravated manslaughter and misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and reckless endangerment.

The complaint states that Briscoe cannot recall any events leading up to the collision. Police said surveillance footage shared by Kochka and his son shows Briscoe crossing the Rudy Minarchin Memorial Bridge at a relatively high rate of speed, running a stop sign and hitting a gas pump.

According to the complaint, Briscoe sought medical attention for a head injury sustained in the crash. After he was placed in an ambulance, he stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated with naloxone, prompting emergency responders to require a helicopter transport to Allegheny General Hospital, according to police.

At the hospital, Briscoe told medical staff that he had taken two Percocet pills that he believed contained fentanyl, the complaint states.

Court records show Briscoe has had multiple drug-related run-ins with the law, including drug and possession convictions.

Vandergrift Police Chief Joseph Caporali did not immediately return a call for comment.

Briscoe did not have an attorney listed in court documents. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 3.