Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
WPXI Pittsburgh
Former Pittsburgh medic charged in head-on crash that killed grandmother appears in court
By Gabriella DeLuca,
5 hours ago
A former Pittsburgh medic facing charges for a crash that killed a new grandmother in March appeared in court Wednesday.
Pittsburgh police say Sydney Richardson was drunk while behind the wheel of a truck when she crossed the center line on East Carson Street causing the head-on crash that killed Mary Alice Bendick while she was on the way to Magee to meet her new grandson. Police say Richardson never applied her brakes before the crash.
“It was horrible. And to know how happy she was,” Danny Bendick told Channel 11.
“I just talked to her beforehand, and she said she was going to see her grandson for the first time…. She was so happy,” he said.
Her life was cut short — because police say former City of Pittsburgh medic, Sydney Richardson, was driving drunk and hit her head on.
According to prosecutors, dash cam video shows Richardson’s car veering towards the right side of the road, before it veered back across the double lines on East Carson.
We paused the video right before the impact, but the victim’s family members saw it in court.
“It was a lot. Just watching the video and hearing what happened to my mom and what Sydney Richardson did to her,” Mary Alice’s daughter, Shelby Thompson said.
Investigators tell Channel 11, her blood alcohol level was .277, and she allegedly told officers that she fell asleep behind the wheel.
We asked Richardson’s defense attorney, Frank Walker, about how the dashcam video could impact his client’s case.
“The video speaks for itself. There’s no winners in this type of case. You have someone who lost a life, the family is upset. I get that you got someone who is sitting for a lot of their life in prison,” Walker said.
Mary Alice’s family is hoping for the maximum punishment.
“I loved her so much. This isn’t gonna bring her back, but she deserves justice,” Danny said.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Local Pittsburgh, PA
Most Popular
Comments / 0