Pa. Republicans demand answers on Democratic state Senate candidate’s car crash

Nicole Ruscitto was involved in the accident Saturday night in Clairton.

By J.D. PROSE
PennLive/Patriot News
jdprose@pennlive.com

Republicans in Pennsylvania are demanding an investigation into a Democratic state Senate candidate’s single- car crash Saturday evening.

The only point the two sides agree on is that Nicole Ruscitto, who is challenging GOP state Sen. Devlin Robinson in the 37th District covering a large part of Allegheny County, was involved in a car accident in Clairton.

“After a long day on the campaign trail yesterday, @ nicole_ruscitto went to pick up dinner & was in a car accident when she swerved to avoid another car. Police came to the scene and thankfully, no one was hurt,” according to a post on X/Twitter Sunday morning by the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.

Ruscitto shared that post, adding, “Thank you everyone for checking in. Feeling well and ready to hit the doors again today!”

Those comments, however, came after Republican Committee of Allegheny County Chairman and County Councilman Sam DeMarco issued a statement Saturday night about the incident in which he said, “The fact pattern calls for a more thorough investigation than we have been led to believe Clairton Police have conducted.”

DeMarco told PennLive on Sunday that witnesses have shared that Ruscitto, who lives in nearby Jefferson Hills, was seen drinking at the Terrace Gardens bar and restaurant in Clairton. The witnesses said Ruscitto stumbled into a table on the way out of the restaurant at about 5:30 p.m.

Ruscitto’s campaign responded Sunday that she was not stumbling when leaving the restaurant at about 4:30 p.m., but it did not address whether she had been drinking.

The Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee (SRCC) started posting on X about Ruscitto’s accident late Saturday, including a photo of a destroyed utility pole, and continued Sunday claiming that “multiple witnesses” said that she was drinking.

“Why wasn’t a breathalyzer used by local law enforcement?” the SRCC asked. “If another car was involved, did the other driver stop to check on her that they could corroborate her story?” Both DeMarco and the SRCC asserted that Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi was called to the scene and they questioned why that happened, but Ruscitto’s campaign said that Lattanzi was not at the scene.

PennLive could not immediately reach the mayor on Sunday.

Ruscitto’s car went “along” a hillside and “sheared off a utility pole,” according to DeMarco, while Ruscitto’s campaign said the car went down a hillside.

DeMarco claimed, again citing eyewitness accounts, that Clairton police did not administer a breathalyzer test and allowed Ruscitto to leave the scene.

In his statement released Saturday, DeMarco asked that police retain “all evidence,” such as body camera footage, patrol car camera footage and reports, related to the crash.

“An accident of this seriousness, involving a public figure, demands a full accounting,” he said. “At present, police need to explain why no breathalyzer was administered, given the circumstances.”

Two witnesses contacted by PennLive did not respond to messages and calls to the Clairton police station went unanswered on Sunday.

“There’s more to come on this,” DeMarco told Penn-Live.