SUV Goes Up Steps, Crashes Into PNC Firstside Downtown

Few Remaining Occupy Pittsburgh Protesters Deny Involvement

PITTSBURGH — THE PITTSBURGH CHANNEL.com

An SUV was driven up the front steps of the downtown PNC Firstside Center and hit the entrance of the building on Tuesday afternoon.

SLIDESHOW: Photos from witnesses at crash scene

Sources told Channel 4 Action News that, as the driver of the Hyundai Santa Fe fled the crash scene, he claimed to be with Occupy Pittsburgh and said there might be an explosive device inside the vehicle.

"He came down here and he stopped at the stop sign, and then he went straight up into the building. He didn't go fast," witness Ashley Corek said. "And then he got up and walked out, and then went up the street. That's it."

Pittsburgh police cordoned off the area for a while and set up a perimeter while a bomb squad unit investigated, but no explosives were found.

No employees or customers were injured in the crash. Police said they believe the vehicle had been stolen from the Green Tree area.

Earlier on Tuesday,

Allegheny County Sheriff's deputies posted "No Trespassing" signs

on the BNY Mellon lawn where Occupy Pittsburgh protesters have been living since October. A county judge previously ordered the protesters to leave and instructed the sheriff to remove anyone who defied the order.

Occupiers who remained on the BNY property -- less than a dozen -- told Channel 4 Action News that they had no knowledge of the PNC crash and were not involved with it.

The driver was described as black, middle-aged, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a gray beard, wearing blue jeans, a brown jacket, a green tossle cap and wire-rimmed glasses. Police said he was last seen going into a city-owned office building at 200 Ross St. and leaving through the back door.

A PNC spokeswoman said Firstside is still in operation, and children at a child care facility on the premises were moved to the other side of the building.

"We do have babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. It's hard to explain (what happened) to a child," said Michelle Hern, who worked at the child care center inside the building.