Beaver County police chief’s deadly stroke likely caused by COVID-19, doctor says

AMBRIDGE, Pa. — Through the tragic recent death of Ambridge Police Chief Mark Romutis, new light could be shed on the effects of COVID-19 – and the study is happening right here in Pittsburgh.

On March 26, Romutis was told he tested positive for coronavirus. Days later, he began to recover and was doing well until the day after his quarantine was lifted – when he suffered a deadly stroke.

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His wife, Renee, said Romutis was even talking about going back to work, but everything changed in the blink of an eye the weekend of April 11.

“That’s my one question. What happened Thursday night to Friday morning that just everything just turned upside down for us?” said Renee.

This is something Renee has had several discussions about with doctors at Allegheny Health Network, including Dr. Michael Goldberg, direct of neuroradiology at AHN.

Goldberg told Channel 11 the stroke that took the chief’s life was likely caused by COVID-19.

“The infection itself may also attack blood vessels, and if those blood vessels in the brain become inflamed that can obstruct blood flow as well, leading to a stroke,” said Goldberg.

Goldberg also said based on research, the strokes are at least in part due to the increase of blood clotting caused by the virus.

And he’s now submitted Romutis' case to the American Journal of Neurology.

For Renee, the hope is that she gets some answers and that others can be saved.

“Hopefully in starting these conversations and dialogue between those of us that have COVID-19 and the doctors that are trying to figure this out … and just starting that dialogue, hopefully through all of this dialogue there will be some common denominators that the medical field will start to piece together,” said Renee.

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