Man leads police on foot chase on I-279 during rush hour

PITTSBURGH — A man is facing numerous charges after leading police on a foot chase on one of the city’s busiest interstates during the Friday morning rush hour.

Officials said an Allegheny County police stopped a vehicle just after 9 a.m. on East Street, near Hazlett Street, for failure to use a turn signal. A passenger in the vehicle -- 50-year-old Darren Rasimczyk -- then jumped out of the vehicle, ran down the hill and took off across Interstate 279.

According to police, Rasimczyk first ran onto the northbound lanes of the interstate. He was sideswiped by a passing car, but continued to run. He then jumped over the concrete median into the HOV lanes. Police said he tried to jump a second median to get into the even-busier southbound lanes when police used a Taser to apprehend him.

Police said that money, heroin and cocaine fell from his pockets as he ran. Incidentally, Rasimczyk was supposed to be in court for a preliminary hearing on theft charges when he fled from police.

Witness Kent Bloom was in the southbound lanes when he saw a man dodging through traffic.

"I just saw him and I'm like okay, what is this guy doing?!" Bloom, an Uber driver, said.  “I was in the left hand lane and I see this guy jumping over the barrier into my lane and I kind of had to swerve over to the middle lane.”

Rasimczyk has a previous criminal record that includes multiple charges for burglary, theft and assault. He now faces new charges including simple possession and resisting arrest.

Both Rasimczyk and the officer were taken to UPMC Passavant Hospital with minor injuries. Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com for continuing coverage.

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