Bulger cab driver charged in death
PITTSBURGH (AP) – A Washington County cab driver has surrendered on charges he was driving drunk when he fatally struck one pedestrian and badly injured another when his taxi jumped a curb in Pittsburgh on St. Patrick’s Day.
Dale Dern, 61, of Bulger, was awaiting arraignment Monday on charges including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence.
Police say Dern told them he steered hard to avoid another car that ran a red light near Heinz Hall about 8:30 p.m. But police say video inside the car shows Dern falling out of the driver’s seat while making a sharp turn, but doesn’t support his claim. Police say his blood-alcohol content was 0.114 percent, more than the state’s 0.08 percent limit for drivers.
The wreck killed 55-year-old Jaafar Bey, of Carnegie, whose family has already filed a wrongful death suit against Dern and Veterans Taxi, of Cranberry.