Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, Jan. 8:
Vehicle crashes at Monroeville Turnpike toll booth
Two vehicles sustained significant damage following a crash Monday morning at the Pennsylvania Turnpike toll booths in Monroeville.
The crash occurred shortly after 5:30 a.m., said Cpl. Cameron Craig out of the state police station in New Stanton. Both drivers were transported to Forbes Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The two toll booth operators who were working were not injured.
One of the vehicles caught fire after striking one of the toll booth lanes, and the other vehicle rolled over, said Turnpike Spokesperson Crispin Havener. Turnpike equipment sustained some damage, he said. The equipment is still being assessed.
Traffic through the toll booth was not disrupted, apart from the lane the crash occurred in, Craig said. The crash was cleared as of 8 a.m., Havener said.
2 handguns retrieved during South Side arrest
A Bellevue man had two handguns confiscated from him late Friday night after being stopped for reckless driving in Pittsburgh’s South Side.
Deputies from the Allegheny County sheriff’s office initiated a traffic stop for a black SUV at the intersection of Spring Street and Arlington Avenue. The driver was identified as Theodore Elliott, 33, who is on federal probation.
Deputies asked Elliott to exit the vehicle. He refused commands to place his hands up for a pat down. Deputies took control of his hands and launched a search of the vehicle, finding a handgun on Elliott’s left ankle and a small bag of suspected marijuana.
Elliott told police there was a second handgun inside the vehicle, which the deputies determined was stolen more than a year ago.
Elliott was transported to Allegheny County Jail. He is awaiting arraignment on drug and firearms charges.
