NORTH VERSAILLES, Pa. — The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office released new information Tuesday in the investigation into the Thanksgiving Day crash that killed a young family, as investigators returned to the scene to reconstruct the collision.
“It’s a horrific sight,” said Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala. “We just went through some of the photographs. I don’t think police pushed this guy. He intended to escape.”
Police said officers were chasing Demetrius Coleman after he sped away from a traffic stop. He crashed into another vehicle at the intersection of Routes 30 and 48, killing the family inside, police said.
Coleman is now charged with three counts of homicide.
The busy intersection where the crash happened was closed for several hours Tuesday so state police could use a drone to reconstruct the chase and crash.
David Bianco, Kailey Meininger and their daughter, Annika, 2, were killed. Their funerals will be held later this week.
Zappala said Coleman didn’t want to go back to jail and doesn’t seem to have remorse about what transpired as a result of him fleeing.
“There's some things he said to people about the death of this family and they’re pretty callous,” he said.
Zappala told reporters that before the crash, Coleman, who was driving without a license, and his passenger were selling drugs.
“His companion in the car, her name is Asia Camp,” Zappala said. “She had 42 stamp bags of heroin. She said they were out selling heroin earlier in the day, so they will be charged with the drugs in the car.”
Regarding police chase policies and whether officers in East McKeesport and North Versailles followed protocol, Zappala said he would leave that up to the individual chiefs of police. However, he did question other recent police pursuits in Allegheny County that have put people in danger.
Last week, three children were almost hit when a police vehicle was struck during a chase that ended in Stowe Township. Last November, five people were injured, including a 12-year-old girl, after a police pursuit on Baum Boulevard in Pittsburgh.
“This is my expectation: You will not pursue unless it’s a violent felony,” he said. “You will not pursue unless a child or some hostage situation is in play.”
Zappala urged each police department in the county to restrict high speed pursuits and had a warning for departments if they don’t.
“You cause death or death results, you better expect at the very least you’re going before an investigating grand jury to take a look at whether or not you committed a crime,” he said.
He also said his office will pay the $143 price tag for stop sticks if using them would prevent tragedies like the one on Thanksgiving Day.
“You put that stop stick either in front of the tire or behind the tire and the tire is immediately deflated if you move the vehicle,” Zappala said. “You tell the driver, ‘Your car has been immobilized.’”
Allegheny County police are asking anyone who was at the intersection and witnessed the crash to call them at 412-473-3000.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- VIDEO: DA puts out message to police across Allegheny County in wake of fatal Thanksgiving Day police chase
- Vigil held for young family killed in Thanksgiving police-chase crash
- Loved ones mourn loss of innocent couple, toddler killed in Thanksgiving police chase crash
- Driver faces homicide charges in police-chase crash that killed couple, 2-year-old daughter
- Child among 3 killed in N. Versailles police chase crash; Driver faces homicide charges