Fayette EMS assistant chief of operations charged in hit-and-run crash

BULLSKIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Fayette County EMS assistant director of operations is in custody and facing several charges after a hit-and-run crash in Fayette County on Saturday night.

Pennsylvania State Police say the multi-vehicle crash happened around 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of East End Road and Memorial Boulevard in Bullskin Township.

PSP says the investigation so far determined that two vehicles were stopped in the left-hand turn lane of Memorial Boulevard when a third vehicle entered the same lane at a high rate of speed. That third vehicle hit one of the stopped vehicles, pushing it into the other stopped vehicle.

After the crash, PSP says the driver of the speeding vehicle, identified as Matthew McKnight, 46, of Connellsville, left the scene. McKnight and the vehicle he was driving, which had sustained extensive front-end damage, were located at a nearby home.

One of the other drivers, identified as James Blackburn, 76, of Connellsville, sustained serious injuries in the crash. He was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

McKnight is now facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, accidents involving death or personal injury and reckless driving.

Fayette/Greene EMS Chief Rick Adobato confirmed to Channel 11 that McKnight was “immediately put on suspension” after his arrest.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW