I’M JORDAN CIOPPA, PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. THANKS, JORDAN. AND TONIGHT WE’RE LEARNING A SECOND VICTIM HAS DIED AFTER A MAJOR CRASH ON THE LIBERTY BRIDGE THIS WEEKEND, EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, THREE CARS CRASHED ON THE BRIDGE NEAR THE LIBERTY TUNNEL. 25 YEAR OLD LAYLA JONES DIED ON THE SCENE. AND TODAY, 28 YEAR OLD JARON WILKERSON DIED FROM HIS INJURIES. WILKERSON AND ANOTHER VICTIM IN JONES CAR WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL SUNDAY. MADISON RAO REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. THE FAMILIES OF THESE VICTIMS HAVE SET UP SEPARATE GOFUNDME PAGES TO HELP WITH MEDICAL AND FUNERAL COSTS, AND YOU CAN FIND
‘He had a gravitational spirit:’ Man, 28, killed in Liberty Bridge crash remembered by family, friends
Jaren Wilkerson, 28, died from injuries sustained in a fiery crash on Liberty Bridge
Updated: 8:56 PM EST Mar 5, 2026
Jaren Wilkerson, 28, died Wednesday from injuries sustained in a fiery crash on Liberty Bridge in Pittsburgh, which occurred Sunday, involving three vehicles and leaving one engulfed in flames.WATCH PREVIOUS VIDEO IN PLAYFINDER ABOVE “He had a gravitational spirit. Once you were around him once, it was unforgettable,” said his cousin Peri Lee on Thursday.”He’d give you the shirt off his back,” added friend Shawn Hendricks. “That’s how we want him to be remembered. As a good father, a good friend, a good cousin, a good son,” said Lee.Pittsburgh Public Safety said that when police arrived on the scene, they found a collision involving three vehicles — one of those vehicles was engulfed in flames. Laila Jones, Madison Rau, and Wilkerson were pinned inside. Jones died on the scene; Rau and Wilkerson were transported to the hospital, where Rau remains.”We kind of knew it was going to happen; it wasn’t looking too good,” said Hendricks. “I knew all three people that was involved actually, so it hit me hard.”A friend named Hasaan witnessed the accident, saying, “I was following behind them, we were coming out of the Liberty Tunnel, I kinda saw what happened. Everything happened so fast.” He expressed the difficulty of witnessing the tragedy, stating, “I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.” Despite efforts to help, Hasaan said, “We tried our best to help; there was only so much we could do.”Wilkerson’s family and friends are now facing the heartbreak of burying him just weeks after his mother’s funeral. “It’s gut-wrenching. It’s like your heart drops into your stomach,” said Lee. “It’s indescribable. A feeling that you can’t describe. You know that someone is not coming back. You know that someone is not going to be in your presence again,” she added.Pittsburgh Public Safety reported that an adult male in the second vehicle did not require hospital transport, while the occupant of the third vehicle was taken to a local hospital in stable condition. The cause of the accident remains unknown.The family has created a GoFundMe. You can donate here. Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
PITTSBURGH —
Jaren Wilkerson, 28, died Wednesday from injuries sustained in a fiery crash on Liberty Bridge in Pittsburgh, which occurred Sunday, involving three vehicles and leaving one engulfed in flames.
WATCH PREVIOUS VIDEO IN PLAYFINDER ABOVE
“He had a gravitational spirit. Once you were around him once, it was unforgettable,” said his cousin Peri Lee on Thursday.
“He’d give you the shirt off his back,” added friend Shawn Hendricks.
“That’s how we want him to be remembered. As a good father, a good friend, a good cousin, a good son,” said Lee.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said that when police arrived on the scene, they found a collision involving three vehicles — one of those vehicles was engulfed in flames.
Laila Jones, Madison Rau, and Wilkerson were pinned inside. Jones died on the scene; Rau and Wilkerson were transported to the hospital, where Rau remains.
“We kind of knew it was going to happen; it wasn’t looking too good,” said Hendricks. “I knew all three people that was involved actually, so it hit me hard.”
A friend named Hasaan witnessed the accident, saying, “I was following behind them, we were coming out of the Liberty Tunnel, I kinda saw what happened. Everything happened so fast.”
He expressed the difficulty of witnessing the tragedy, stating, “I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.” Despite efforts to help, Hasaan said, “We tried our best to help; there was only so much we could do.”
Wilkerson’s family and friends are now facing the heartbreak of burying him just weeks after his mother’s funeral.
“It’s gut-wrenching. It’s like your heart drops into your stomach,” said Lee. “It’s indescribable. A feeling that you can’t describe. You know that someone is not coming back. You know that someone is not going to be in your presence again,” she added.
Pittsburgh Public Safety reported that an adult male in the second vehicle did not require hospital transport, while the occupant of the third vehicle was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
The cause of the accident remains unknown.
The family has created a GoFundMe.
You can donate here.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.