Searchers come up empty in search for man believed to have jumped from Hulton Bridge

Sonar was used to search the Allegheny River on Wednesday for a man witnesses say jumped off the Hulton Bridge after crashing his car on the bridge Tuesday evening.

The man, believed to be 42 years old and from the Verona area, has not been found, Harmar police Chief Jason Domaratz said. The identification was based on the vehicle registration and information inside the car, he said.

The water in the area is about 12 feet deep. The fall from the bridge would have been about 60 feet, but Domaratz said people have survived falls from the bridge.

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh River Rescue used sonar to scan the bottom of the river near the spot where witnesses said the man jumped. The search lasted until about 3 p.m. with no results, Domaratz said.

Attempts to reach a representative of River Rescue were unsuccessful. A representative of Pittsburgh Public Safety could also not be reached for comment.

The man’s name has not been released. His cellphone was found in the car, and it remains unclear whether authorities have notified his family, if any.

According to Domaratz, the man was driving across the bridge from Harmar toward Oakmont when he made a sharp left at about the middle of the bridge and hit the concrete barrier separating the road from a sidewalk.

Crews from Pittsburgh, Oakmont and Blawnox searched the river for about two hours Tuesday evening but didn’t find anything, Domaratz said.

Happening now in Oakmont on the Allegheny River…A Pittsburgh River Rescue boat Wednesday aids in efforts to search for an adult male who reportedly jumped from the Hulton Bridge Tuesday night, after wrecking his vehicle on the bridge. ⁦@VNDNews⁩ ⁦@TribLIVE⁩ pic.twitter.com/DM518aRsrE

— Joyce Hanz (@hanz_joyce) November 8, 2023

The surrounding riverbanks near the search area remained empty Wednesday as the sole rescue boat navigated the area near the bridge on the Harmar side of the Allegheny River.

“We’re trying to organize and get other resources,” Domaratz said. “I appreciate all of the City of Pittsburgh’s efforts.”

Domaratz continued searching in his own boat Wednesday afternoon.

“We’re going to keep looking and use any additional resources that are available to us,” he said.