Couple hit by pickup truck in Downtown Pittsburgh share their story

PITTSBURGH — A crash sent a couple flying through the air in Downtown Pittsburgh on Tuesday night after a driver experienced a medical emergency.

>> Man, woman hit by pickup truck in Downtown Pittsburgh; police believe driver had medical emergency

Once the walk sign switched, they started making their way to PPG Paints Arena for Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra concert. They were in the crosswalk when a truck hit them and threw one of them against a wall.

“Sometimes you’re tempted to go if there’s no traffic going back and forth,” said Gerry Petrisin. “We decided to wait until that white walk sign blinked on and then we crossed. That saved us two seconds from being directly hit by a pickup truck.”

Gerry Petrisin and his girlfriend, Mary Payo, believe they’re alive today because of that two-second delay.

“It happened so fast,” said Petrisin.

Gerry says this truck ran over his foot and slammed into Mary.

“The corner of the truck hit her and launched her into the building where her body slammed against the wall,” said Petrisin. “It was just in slow motion at that point. I just said, ‘Mary, we just got hit by a truck.’”

“My glasses flew off,” said Mary Payo. “I never understood when people get hit by a car come out of their shoes, but I literally came out of my shoes.”

Pittsburgh EMS took both of them to UPMC Mercy. Payo has bruises all up and down her left side and Petrisin has a broken bone in his foot.

“One minute, we were excited walking and getting ready to go see a good concert,” said Payo. “Then the next minute, we’re sitting there talking to paramedics but the fact that we were able to sit and talk and were alert that’s better than the alternative.”

Pittsburgh Public Safety says the driver of the truck who hit them experienced a medical emergency before the crash.

“I think what happened to him,” said Payo. “Is he okay?”

At last check, the driver of the pickup truck was still in the hospital in critical condition.

“You think about these things, and it’s like you really can’t control what path you’re on sometimes because somebody else is on a path too,” said Payo. “Unfortunately, all of our paths interjected yesterday, but it could have been a lot worse. I’m just very blessed.”

Keep your head on a swivel. That’s another thing Gerry and Mary want people to take away from their story. Even when you’re doing the “right thing,” you just never know.

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