Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Jan. 8:
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Somerset County man killed in 2-vehicle crash
A man was killed Wednesday night in a two-vehicle crash in Fayette County.
Michael Duritsky Jr., 28, of Addison, a tiny Somerset County town 5 miles north of the Maryland border, was driving a minivan east east on Route 40, also known as National Pike, near Hopwood around 6:40 p.m., according to the Fayette County Coroner.
Duritsky struck a “commercial vehicle at a high rate of speed,” triggering a “rear-end type collision,” Pennsylvania State Police said in a crash report.
Duritsky was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:41 p.m., state police said.
The driver of the other vehicle, a 2007 Mack truck, was not injured, the coroner’s office said.
Authorities have not named the second driver.
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SWAT standoff ends with suspect in custody
An all-night SWAT situation ended early Thursday with a suspect being taken into custody.
The incident on North Braddock’s North Avenue, near Kirkpatrick Avenue, started around 7:20 p.m. Wednesday and ended shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday, according to TribLive news partner WTAE.
Police have not said why they were first called to the home.
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Food drive launched for Sharpsburg Food Pantry
Fox Chapel officials are helping to support food insecurity in Sharpsburg, officials said.
Councilwoman Anna Grace this week launched a food drive benefitting the Sharpsburg Food Pantry, Fox Chapel officials said on social media.
During the drive, which runs through Jan. 31, the pantry is seeking food and non-perishable items, especially soup, pasta, peanut butter, toilet paper and paper towels, and hygiene items like shampoo and body wash.
People can drop donations at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library and Fox Chapel Borough Building.
The Sharpsburg Food Pantry, located in the basement of St. Mary’s Church, assists residents from Sharpsburg, Harmar and the Fox Chapel area.
