Woman pleads guilty to hit-and-run that killed Shaler woman

The woman charged in a January hit-and-run in Ross Township that left a woman dead has pleaded guilty to several charges related to the incident.

Erin Petroski was sentenced to three to six years in jail followed by five years of probation for the death of Elizabeth Griser, 31, of Shaler.

Petroski, 39, pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle, accident involving death or personal injury and DUI, according to a release from the Ross Township Police Department.

Petroski’s attorney previously said his client had no idea she hit a person before she left the scene of the crash.

“She’s very very upset that this happened. It truly was an accident,” Steve Townsend told Channel 11.

Police said Petroski hit Griser on Babcock Boulevard before speeding off on Jan. 13. Griser was pronounced dead a short time later at a local hospital.

“It’s just a shame that a cruel person could hit a person, not stop, not call 911, leaving my daughter on the road,” the victim’s mother Sally Griser told Channel 11 in January. “I will never recover from this. My daughter Elizabeth Griser was innocent, just walking home to meet her brother at Sheetz.”

“I’ll never recover from this, I’ll always be emotional,” Sally Griser told Channel 11.

Sally Griser told an Allegheny County judge that her life has not been the same, and never will be, since her daughter, Elizabeth was killed this past January.

“I’m hoping this is a lesson for anyone who goes to the bar, and drinks…I hope they’ll call for a ride instead of driving home drunk,” Sally said.

Petroski apologized to the Griser family in court.

“She should have apologized a long time ago and accepted the responsibility of her actions when she hit my daughter. She should have stopped,” Sally added. “Yes, we wanted a longer sentence for her because she killed a person. The judge had to use the guidelines of the PA laws. We get what we get.”

When Sally Griser read her victim impact statement to the courtroom, the judge became visibly emotional and even wiped away her tears.

“I miss her a lot. Everyone misses her,” Sally Griser said.

Despite her pain, she’s thankful to those who helped her daughter the night she died.

“I could never forget the three good samaritans starting CPR, and Ross Township Police Department for their hard work,” she said.

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