Pittsburgh Local Pulse: Bridge Tragedy, City Safety, and Spring Weather

Good morning, this is Pittsburgh Local Pulse for Thursday, March 5th. We start with some sad news from the road. A second victim from that fiery multi-vehicle crash on the Liberty Bridge over the weekend has passed away. Jaren Wilkerson, 28, died at the hospital yesterday after fighting for his life since Sunday morning, when 25-year-old Laila Jones lost hers at the scene. Pittsburgh police are investigating what caused the three-car pileup that trapped folks and shut down this key route into the city, reminding us all to drive carefully, especially on busy bridges like that one connecting to the West End. Our thoughts go out to their families during this tough time. Shifting to public safety, homicide charges are now filed after a man was found dead under a tractor-trailer behind a grocery store in Carrick. Police say its a tragic case theyre working hard to resolve. And yesterday, a wanted suspect led officers on a chase through Downtown before jumping into the river near the Point State Park Allegheny side, highlighting how our zones stay vigilant. From City Hall, Mayor Corey OConnor shared in a recent Pitt to the Point interview how local politics shape our daily lives, from housing to street fixes, urging us to stay engaged. On schools, Woodland Hills superintendent Joe Maluchnik is now on unpaid leave amid an internal probe, which could impact families in that East End district. Gas prices spiked overnight around Pittsburgh, up about 19 cents at pumps from Shadyside to the Strip District, thanks to Mideast tensions shaking oil markets and hitting our wallets at the pump. In sports, Anthony Mantha is on fire for the Penguins, nearing career highs in goals and points after his ACL comeback, and they host Buffalo tonight at PPG Paints Arena. Catch that action. Weather-wise, dense fog lingers this morning but burns off for highs in the low 50s, perfect for getting out, though watch for slick spots on bridges. Rain chances pick up tomorrow. Job news looks strong with GE Vernova posting hundreds of engineering gigs nearby, rounding to about 800 openings that could boost our tech scene. New business buzz includes a curling club gaining fans downtown. Upcoming, Penguins-Sabres tonight, and Cody Johnson plays tomorrow. Hopewell High kids just beat police in a fun basketball fundraiser. Finally, a feel-good nod to that local fire department scoring 13 grand for new gear, keeping our neighborhoods safer. Thanks for tuning in, listeners, and remember to subscribe. This has been Pittsburgh Local Pulse. Well see you tomorrow with more local updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.