2 men dead after crash into Bellevue tire center

BELLEVUE BOROUGH, Pa. — Two men are dead after an overnight crash into a tire center off a busy Bellevue roadway.

The Allegheny County Police Department says 911 officials learned of a two-vehicle crash on Ohio River Boulevard between Kendall Avenue and Grant Avenue in Bellevue around 1 a.m. Sunday.

Upon arrival, first responders found both drivers, two adult men, dead on the scene. One of the men has been identified as Israel Sustayta, 21, by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. The other man was later identified as Ege Akkaya, 31.

Police say two more people were taken to area hospitals. They are expected to survive their injuries.

Video obtained by Channel 11 shows at least one of the vehicles involved also crashed into a tire center, damaging a pair of garage doors. The video also shows a vehicle ripped in half.

Ohio River Boulevard between the McKees Rocks Bridge and Riverview Avenue was closed for several hours while first responders were on the scene.

Israel just turned 21 years old on New Year’s Day. His older brother Jacian Sustayta said he was loved by so many - his nieces, nephews, friends and family.

“Rest in peace Is. We love you,” Sustayta said.

Israel had big dreams of opening his own tattoo shop. The tattoos on Jacian Sustayta’s hands are some of the first he said his brother ever did. They’re now a permanent and meaningful reminder of Israel’s legacy.

“I’m going to always remember these,” he said. “He’s so good now. He got so good. I’m so proud of everything he accomplished and everything.”

Sustayta said Israel was on his way back from a party just four blocks away from home when he crashed with another car. That driver also died at the scene but has not yet been named.

Gigi Crain saw the mangled car from her kitchen window.

“It was horrible and terrible. We were all watching,” said Crain. “Pieces were like all over the road.”

Crain heard the loud crash that ended with Israel’s car slamming through the garage of the Discount Tire Center.

“It was like probably one of the worst ones I’ve heard,” Crain said. “It was just like banging and crashing and screeching for a good 15 seconds.”

Neighbors said they see crashes along that stretch of raod at least once a month.

“There’s a hill right there and you get over the hill and you don’t see these intersections,” said Crain.

Neighbors told Channel 11′s Antoinette DelBel that crashes not only happen along Ohio River Boulevard, but also coming down Grant Avenue. They said cars have run into the tire shop’s signs pulling them right out of the ground.

“There are always people going down the wrong way here,” said Erin Gerle, who lives on Grant Avenue. “I just worry because we got a lot of children in this area.”

As detectives investigate the cause of Sunday’s crash, Sustayta is holding onto words he said his brother used to say.

“Remember to live,” he said. “You never know when you can die - one of Israel’s sayings. I’m going to keep that to heart, brother. I’m going to keep that to heart.”

Israel’s brother said the two other people who were hurt were in Israel’s car. Both he and the police said they are expected to be okay.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Sustayta family with funeral costs. Click here to donate.

ACPD’s Homicide Unit and Collision Reconstruction Unit are investigating. Anyone with information about the crash can call the County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.

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