Police and Fire

POLICE: Ellwood City Man Dies From Crash Injuries

According to a PA State Police report, a 79-year-old man from Ellwood City died in a one vehicle crash that took place Sunday afternoon between Wampum and Ellwood City. While traveling east on Wampum Road, a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck driven by Glenn Freed, 79, of Ellwood City, lost control for unknown reasons and impacted a utility pole, approximately 10 feet of the right south shoulder on the road. The vehicle came to rest on the shoulder of Wampum Road measuring 431 feet east of Rock Point Road. Freed was transported to UPMC Presbyterian via STAT Medevac helicopter where he…


POLICE: Police Seeking Man Involved In Domestic Dispute Sunday

According to a public information release report made available on the PA State Police website, police are looking for Justin Gates, 31, of Ellwood City, PA in connection with a domestic dispute that took place on Sunday. According to the report, Gates was involved in a physical domestic on Sunday night. Gates assaulted his girlfriend and killed his son’s 8 week old Australian Shepherd puppy, Bear. The incident was reported to take place on Crestview Lane in Slippery Rock Township in Lawrence County. Gates is charged with strangulation, terroristic threats, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, recklessly endangering other…


Police Investigating Hit and Run On Route 18

On Wednesday, August 12, at approximately 8:00 pm, PA State Police responded to a report of a hit/run crash in which a motorist was traveling south on Route-18 Big Beaver Boulevard near Possum Hollow Road and struck a metal fence, causing substantial damage, owned by “The Race Place” in New Beaver Boro, Lawrence County. Th accident destroyed six metal poles holding up the fence wiring. Upon arrival to the scene, police examined the scene and interviewed the victim/witnesses. State police discovered a door handle that might have belonged to the vehicle near the impact site. After checking video survelliance in…


Ellwood City Borough Announces Update Of CodeRED Notification System

The Borough of Ellwood City has recently updated its account with OnSolve, providers of the CodeRED high-speed notification solution and the CodeRED Weather Warning service. This no-charge update will allow message recipients to easily identify calls coming through the systems. Message recipient’s Caller ID will read OnSolve or 866-419-5000 for CodeRED calls. And for CodeRED Weather Warning calls, either OnSolve or the number 800-566-9780 will appear on Caller ID displays. Most relevant for our citizens, says David Allen, Borough Manager, “Residents can simply dial the number displayed on their Caller ID to hear the last message delivered. This will greatly…


POLICE REPORTS: Criminal Complaints

The following are police criminal complaints filed at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Lawrence County office of Honorable Jerry G. Cartwright. Repeated Car Theft On June 28 at 1:17 AM ECPD responed to the area of Park Ave. and Seventh Street after a reporting party observed two males (one in white and the other in red) getting into a parked vehicle and grabbing items out of the car. When police arrived at the scene, they noted there were items laying outside the driver side door. They conducted a search for the two men, but when no contact was made, they returned…


Borough Now Offering Free 2 Hour Parking Until August

The Borough of Ellwood City has generously announced 2-hour free parking on downtown meters through end of August. This comes after some have voiced concern over the ticketing as an obstacle for those still looking to support small business and restaurants in downtown Ellwood City during the ongoing pandemic. The official press release from the borough reads as follow: Free parking is designated at all currently metered spaces located on Lawrence Avenue, Bell Avenue, Crescent Avenue, 5th Street, 6th Street, 7th Street, and the Beaver Avenue parking lot for a maximum of two (2) hours from now through August 31,…


POLICE: Hitchhicker Wanted After Stabbing Driver

On June 27, at around 2:26 AM, Ellwood City Police Department officers reported to an area hospital after a call came in to report a man was in the lobby bleeding from the neck. When they made contact with victim John Lucchesi and while waiting for emergency services to arrive, police questioned the man as to what happened. Luccesi reported that after he had offered a hitchhiker a ride, he had stabbed him after an argument. Lucchesi said he had picked up the hitchhiker near the BnB Express on Fourth Street. The pair began driving when an argument began and…


POLICE REPORTS: Criminal Complaints

The following are police criminal complaints filed by the Ellwood City Police Department. PUBLIC INTOXICATION On Tuesday, July 7 at 1:08 AM, ECPD reported to Hazel Manor for a disturbance in the parking lot. When they arrived, they made contact with a visibly intoxicated Jerrin Brandon, 30, of Fombell, outside the front door of the bar. Brandon was stating that he wanted to fight owner Jeff Weisz because Brandon believed that he “stole money and cigarettes from his girlfriend”. Police asked Brandon to leave, to which he walked to 7/11 to ask permission to leave his motorbike in their parking…


POLICE REPORTS: Criminal Complaints

The following are police criminal complaints filed at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Lawrence County office of Honorable Jerry G. Cartwright. Local Man Charged for making Terroristic Threats to ex-girlfriend 22-year-old Michael Sopo of Harrisville, Pennsylvania is being charged with multiple forms of assault and harassment after his ex-girlfriend called and reported him for an altercation on Wednesday, June 17. Pennsylvania State Police responded to a report by a female that had been assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, Sopo. After making contact with the victim on Clyde Street, New Beaver Borough, they obtained her written statement on the incident. She related that…


PHOTO: Two-Vehicle Crash On Portersville Road

A two-vehicle crash sent one person to the hospital early Thursday morning. The crash happened on Portersville Road (Route 488) at the intersection with Wurtemburg Road. According to reports, one person was taken to the hospital and a second person refused medical treatment. State police are investigating the cause of the crash. The roadway was blocked off before Hickernell Road while crews attended to the scene. One person hurt in two-vehicle crash in Ellwood City https://t.co/n3riVBGiwT — WTAE-TV Pittsburgh (@WTAE) July 2, 2020