Pittsburgh Regional Transit driver and passenger face assault charges in Sharpsburg incident

A Pittsburgh Regional Transit driver is on paid leave while he faces criminal charges for allegedly dragging a passenger stuck to the moving bus and then nearly running her over in Sharpsburg.

Port Authority police have charged driver Jesse White, 55, of Pittsburgh with aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Charges stem from an incident around 10 a.m. March 3 near the intersection of Freeport Road and Main Street.

According to the complaint, White and the passenger, identified as Sharell Belcher, 27, of Pittsburgh, got into an argument about where she was going to get dropped off.

White told police he was servicing a stop when he did not see Belcher attempting to get off, the complaint read.

Police reviewed a video of the incident, which shows the bus traveling with its door open.

White told police Belcher reached into her bag and said, “I got something for you,” and allegedly doused him with lotion.

The driver said he felt she might have had a gun, and began swerving in the road in order to throw her off balance, the complaint said.

Belcher told police she had a water bottle and admitted to threatening him with it, according to the complaint. She told police White was yelling expletives at her as she attempted to get off the bus.

Belcher eventually stepped off the bus, but her bag got caught in the door. As she attempted to free the bag, the bus pulled away with Belcher running along side it.

A witness told police he hit the side of the bus, and another car honked at the driver in order to get the him to stop.

The bus eventually stopped and Belcher fell and rolled off the bus. She attempted to retrieve her bicycle, but the bus started to drive off with her still in front of it, according to the complaint.

Belcher told police she was going to the hospital for an evaluation of road rash.

Court documents show she is charged with simple assault in connection with the incident.