Local

Man who caused wrong-way crash on Route 28 died of a heart condition

PITTSBURGH — Emergency responders were called Saturday morning to Route 28, where a crash involving a wrong-way driver closed a portion of the roadway.

Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Sonya Toler said Route 28 was closed in both directions for a time between 31st and Chestnut streets due to the accident, which happened about 10 a.m. in the northbound lanes.

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A tweet from Allegheny County initially indicated that the crash involved three vehicles. However, Toler later said that two vehicles had collided head-on.

Toler said both drivers were extricated from their vehicles.

The driver who was traveling in the wrong direction was pronounced dead after he was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in traumatic arrest, according to Toler. The other driver was taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.

The medical examiner has identified the victim as Perry Kastanias, 81, of Millvale. The Allegheny County medical examiner said he died of a heart condition.

It appears Kastanias went across the 40th Street Bridge and turned left into the outbound lanes of Route 28 instead of the inbound lanes.

However, Toler also said that Kastanias collided with another vehicle “in the Millvale section of (Route) 28” before the accident happened.

Southbound Route 28 reopened to traffic about noon. Northbound lanes opened shortly before 2:30 p.m., according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.