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Woman charged in deadly hit-and-run in Ross Township turns herself in

The suspected driver involved in a deadly hit-and-run Sunday night turned herself in on Tuesday.

Melinda Gregor, 29, of Ross Township, is being charged with accidents involving death or personal injury, drivers required to be licensed and endangering the welfare of a child.

As she was entering the Ross Township Police Department around 4:30 p.m., Channel 11 asked Gregor if she had anything to say to the victim's family, and she said softly that she was sorry.

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"What happened was tragic to this gentleman," said Gregor's attorney, Phil DiLucente, after she surrendered. "I can tell you it was rainy that night. I'm not making any excuses here, but it was a very, very bad downpour."

DiLucente would not say why his client didn't call 911 after the crash, but suggested she may have thought she hit a deer.

"All i can tell you - is what other people on Facebook and other witnesses say. They believe a deer was struck," Dilucente said.

Gregor's Subaru Legacy has been impounded. Her 6-year-old son was in the car with her when she struck Michael Menner, police said.

Police were able to identify Gregor thanks in part to a 'food run' she made just moments before. Police said she picked up a to-go order at a restaurant on Babcock Boulevard and was seen on surveillance.

Menner, 50, was crossing Babcock Boulevard between the Philly Pretzel Factory and Shenanigans Bar & Grille around 7 p.m. when he was struck and killed.

Channel 11 News talked Monday with Maximilian Menner, the son of the victim. He said he was working his Sunday night shift at the Philly Pretzel factory right across from Shenanigans Bar and Grill when he spotted flashing lights.

“I was like, 'Look at that. Random guy got hit,' and went back in and finished closing,” Maximilian said.

He said he tried calling his father's phone but there was no answer. He then began talking with a police officer as the nightmare played out in front of him.

“I watched him get taken into the ambulance and they were respirating him and I didn’t know it was him at the time,” Maximilian said.

The Shaler Area High School student is holding onto memories of his father, a diehard Pittsburgh sports fan who loved the Steelers and the Pirates.

Maximilian Menner

“Baseball -- we would always go to baseball together. He would take me to my games. We would go together,” Maximilian said.

Police said speed was more than likely a factor in the accident, which is no surprise to a neighboring business owner on Babcock Boulevard.

"It's a low speed-limit road. It's 35 mph, but the traffic seems to be aggressive here. There's a lot of tailgating, a lot of horns blowing," Jamil Goudelock, owner of Diamondmill Auto Spa, said.

The Menner family said it is now planning a funeral and finalizing arrangements.

 

Cox Media Group

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