EAST McKEESPORT, Pa. — Almost a year after a deadly crash in East McKeesport, a driver is facing charges.
The head-on collision between a northbound and a southbound vehicle occurred on 5th Avenue near Penn Avenue on July 25, 2025. Court documents filed on Monday reveal that both drivers were trapped in their vehicles and were extricated with serious injuries.
One of those drivers, Brian Jackson, died at an area hospital. The other, Aaron Bertoluzzi, is now facing charges for Jackson’s death.
The court documents state that detectives determined, after examining roadway evidence and the damage to both vehicles, that Bertoluzzi’s vehicle crossed the center line and crashed into Jackson’s vehicle in the center of the northbound lanes.
The court documents state that police spoke with Bertoluzzi at a hospital after the crash, where he admitted to drinking alcohol before leaving a home on Maple Drive when his ex-wife and girlfriend began fighting.
Bertoluzzi consented to a blood draw, which later revealed he had a blood ethanol level of 0.176%.
Court documents state that detectives also obtained two search warrants for Bertoluzzi‘s vehicle.
One warrant allowed a mechanical inspection to be done, which showed it was in “average condition” before the crash and led detectives to think there weren’t any “defects or malfunctions” that could have contributed to the collision.
The other warrant let detectives image the vehicle’s Event Data Recorder, which logged the crash and showed that Bertoluzzi‘s vehicle was speeding (48 mph in a 35 mph zone) and never applied the brake before the crash.
Bertoluzzi was arrested on Tuesday and is facing multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence.
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