Allegheny Township man charged in Vandergrift gas station crash that burned 1 person, caused serious damage
Charges have been filed against an Allegheny Township man who police said crashed into a gas pump at Vandergrift’s Kochka and Son Towing on Sept. 10, starting a fire that burned a customer and caused significant damage to the family-owned business.
Cole Briscoe, 33, fled the scene on Sherman Avenue after the crash, hobbling down nearby Farragut Avenue before being apprehended, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.
A man pumping gas was hurt, police said, but Briscoe did not attempt to render aid or address the situation.
Meanwhile, Kochka and Son employees scrambled to put out the fire as it spread to a second gas pump, manager Lyndsey Bigley said. Some workers grabbed fire extinguishers, while one pressed the emergency shut-off inside the building.
“They had it out before the fire companies were here,” Bigley said.
It took Kochka and Son about two weeks to make more than $100,000 in repairs, Bigley said.
Briscoe, who police said exhibited slurred speech and trouble staying awake, faces a felony count of causing a catastrophe and misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence and reckless endangerment.
The complaint stated that Briscoe could not recall any events leading up to the collision. Surveillance footage shared by Kochka and Son show Briscoe crossing the Rudy Minarcin Memorial Bridge at a relatively high speed, running a stop sign and smashing into the gas pump, police said.
Briscoe requested medical care for a head injury suffered during the crash, according to the complaint. After being placed in an ambulance, he quit breathing and had to be revived using Naloxone, leading emergency responders to request a helicopter transport to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to police.
At the hospital, medical staff were told by Briscoe he had taken two Percocet pills, which he believed to have been laced with fentanyl, the complaint said.
Court records show Briscoe has had multiple drug-related encounters with the law, including DUI 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 set for Dec. 3.
Jack Troy is a TribLive reporter covering the Freeport Area and Kiski Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on Penn Hills municipal affairs. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in January 2024 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at jtroy@triblive.com.
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