Charges filed after drag racing on Fort Pitt Bridge

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Police say charges have been filed after drivers were drag racing on the Fort Pitt Bridge, with one of those vehicles striking a Pennsylvania State Police cruiser and nearly running over multiple troopers. 

In a release Saturday, state police said Jason William Stotlemyer has been charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude police, simple assault, accident involving damage, harassment, and other traffic violations. 

More than four dozen cars and possibly upward of 300 people took over the bridge around 3 a.m. on Friday morning. They blocked incoming traffic coming into the city through the Fort Pitt Tunnel.

When troopers got on the scene, they say one of those vehicles, a burgundy Jeep Grand Cherokee, took off from the scene and hit a marked police cruiser, and nearly ran over troopers. 

Police said illegal drag racing is happening in cities across the country but has never taken over an entire bridge. They said their investigation is far from over. 

“Our first priority is the sole purpose of the Cherokee and then after that incident is complete, we can start looking at that footage and get all the plates and all the info needed to see who was all there that night and start breaking that incident down step by step,” Pennsylvania State Police Troop B Public Information Officer Rocco Gagliardi said Friday.