Suspect charged after carjacking leads to crash that pulls down pole, wires, knocks out power

NORTH VERSAILLES, Pa. — A man is facing charges after a crash in North Versailles brought down a pole, wires and a transformer on Thursday afternoon.

McKeesport police just filed charges of robbery, burglary, and assault against Roger Bryce, 50, after they say a carjacking and assault led to the crash.

Good Samaritan Damon Ellison spoke with Channel 11 and explained the moment he heard the car crash into a utility pole.

“I just heard it just go, ‘Bam,’ and I immediately knew it had to be an accident. Open up the door and I just see it smoking, just smoking. I just immediately reacted and by the time I opened up my door the power line pole is still falling,” Ellison said.

Ellison says he had no idea who the driver was but jumped into action to pull the man out of the smoking car who had slid underneath the dashboard.

“I can’t walk. I can’t walk. But he’s 200 plus I’m only like 160 but I just put his underarms under my arms and we just pulling just get him. Move the seat back just gotta get him outta there because the car is smoking I don’t know if it’s gonna blow,” Ellison said.

Ellison says minutes later police got there, filling him in on what led up to the crash.

“The first officer on the scene said, ‘Yeah, he’s a suspect in a carjacking,’” Ellison said.

Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputies say that the suspect was part of an assault and carjacking that had taken place in McKeesport earlier. Officers put out a “be on the lookout” alert for the stolen car. When the deputy at the intersection of Route 30 and 48 spotted it, he tried to yell at the driver to pull over. That driver acted like he was going to pull over, but instead took off at a high rate of speed on Route 30 before crashing into a utility pole near Grandview Cemetery.

Ellis says police immediately put Bryce into handcuffs. Ellis told Channel 11 that Bryce had one question for him after he pulled him out of the car.

“He asked for a cigarette,” Ellison said. We asked if he gave him one. “No!” Ellison explained. “I’m trying to save your life.”

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