Dispatch: Person flown to hospital after motorcycle collides with bear in Armstrong County
PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR AT FOUR STARTS NOW. GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR AT 4:00. I’M ANDREW STOCKEY. I’M KELLY SASSO. HERE’S A LOOK AT WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON AND STARTING WITH YOUR TOP FOUR STORIES AT 4:00 TODAY. A SERIOUS INVESTIGATION CENTERED AT A LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. OFFICIALS IN THE ARMSTRONG SCHOOL DISTRICT SAY THEY ARE AWARE OF RUMORS SUGGESTING INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STUDENTS AND STAFF. STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING TWO LIFE SENTENCES. THAT’S WHAT THE JUDGE HANDED DOWN TO ISAAC SMITH. HE WAS CONVICTED OF KILLING CARLY SHORT AND HER UNBORN CHILD BACK IN 2021 AND SUING THE GOVERNMENT. THE TWO MEN INJURED IN THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN BUTLER COUNTY ARE NOW TAKING LEGAL ACTION. ATTORNEYS FOR JAMES COPENHAVER AND DAVID DUTCH BLAMED THE SECRET SERVICE, CLAIMING THIS SHOOTING WAS PREVENTABLE. AND IN JUST A FEW DAYS WILL BE PHONES DOWN WHILE BEHIND THE WHEEL. PAUL MILLER’S LAW WILL START TO BE ENFORCED. POLICE WILL BEGIN ISSUING CITATIONS TO DRIVERS SEEN HOLDING OR SUPPORTING A CELL PHONE BEHIND THE WHEEL. AND THOSE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES. AT 4:00 ON THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. TIME NOW TO CHECK OUT PITTSBURGH’S ACTION WEATHER METEOROLOGIST BRIAN HUTTON JUNIOR IS WITH US. AS PROMISED, THE SUNSHINE IS BACK AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE WE’RE MOVING TOWARD WARMER TEMPS. YEAH, TODAY IS LIKELY THE COOLEST DAY OF THE NEXT WEEK. SO TEMPERATURES WILL BE MUCH MORE SUMMERLIKE AS WE MOVE FORWARD HERE. SO IF YOU’RE WAITING FOR THE REAL KIND OF SUMMER FEEL THAT GETS TO THE END OF THE WEEK. SO WE REALLY START BUMPING THE TEMPERATURES UP WITH OUR SUNSHINE TOMORROW. WE LIKELY RETURN TO 80 DEGREES, AND THEN WE KEEP WARMING FROM THERE INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 80S. AND WE ARE DRY AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE WEEK AS WELL, UNTIL WE GET TO THIS WEEKEND. THAT’S WHEN OUR NEXT RAIN CHANCE ARRIVES AS WE’LL WATCH FOR RAIN SHOWERS ACROSS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA STARTING LATE ON SATURDAY AND THEN LIKELY CONTINUING INTO PORTIONS OF OUR SUNDAY. HEAVIEST RAIN WILL BE NORTH OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH, BUT EVEN THEN, MOST OF US WILL LIKELY SEE ONLY ABOUT A QUARTER OR HALF OF AN INCH OF RAIN. THIS IS NOT A BIG RAINFALL EVENT FOR US, BUT RAIN SHOWERS WILL RETURN. WE’RE CURRENTLY AT 75 DEGREES IN PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL. SAME THING FOR NEWCASTLE AND WASHINGTON BEAVERS. THE WARM SPOT AT 77. BUT EVERYBODY IS 70 OR WARMER. AND AGAIN, TODAY IS THE COOLEST DAY OF THE NEXT WEEK. HOW ABOUT 80 TOMORROW? IF YOU DON’T LIKE THAT 85 ON THURSDAY, HOW ABOUT 87 ON FRIDAY, THEN 86 ON SATURDAY. WE ARE WATCHING RAIN CHANCES IN THE BACK PART OF THE DAY. NOT ALL SATURDAY IS WET, BUT IF YOU HAVE OUTDOOR PLANS THE EARLIER IN THE DAY ON SATURDAY, THE BETTER. ALL RIGHT, LET’S HOLD 87 FOR NOW. AND WE’RE TALKING WITH THAT HEAT. MAYBE MORE HUMIDITY AS WELL. YEAH. OUR LOW TEMPERATURES CREEP UP SO YOU’LL START FEELING THE AIR AS WELL AS WE GET TOWARDS THE WEEKEND. THIS IS RIGHT WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. NORMAL HIGH RIGHT NOW 76. OKAY, SO A LITTLE WARMER. SO WE’LL TAKE A LITTLE WARMER THAN A LITTLE COLDER. YEAH. OKAY. BRIAN, THANKS SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT. WE’LL SEE YOU HERE IN JUST A LITTLE BIT. ALL RIGHT. WE WANT TO GET BACK TO THAT BREAKING NEWS THAT YOU SAW FIRST HERE ON FOUR, THE ARMSTRONG SCHOOL DISTRICT IS RESPONDING TO WHAT IT IS CALLING RUMORS INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIPS INVOLVING STUDENTS AND STAFF. THAT’S RIGHT. IT’S A STORY WE’VE BEEN COVERING ALL DAY HERE ON PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR, OUR REPORTER MARCIE CIPRIANI HAS BEEN ARMSTRONG COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT MORE OF WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THIS INVESTIGATION. SHE’LL BE JOINING US LIVE VERY SHORTLY TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE SITUATION UNFOLDING. AS YOU SEE ARMSTRONG JUNIOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE MARCIE CIPRIANI ON THE SCENE LETTING YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT’S GOING ON, WHAT’S HAPPENING. AS WE GET MORE DETAILS, OF COURSE WE WILL SHARE THOSE WITH YOU. ALL RIGHT, NOW WE WANT TO TURN TO THE COURTROOM. IT WAS SENTENCING DAY FOR THE MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING A WOMAN AND HER UNBORN CHILD. AS PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER JASMINE RODRIGUEZ REPORTS, THE JUDGE IS MAKING SURE ISAAC SMITH WILL NEVER GET OUT OF PRISON. AN EMOTIONAL DAY IN COURT TODAY AS THE STEPMOTHER, MOTHER AND FATHER OF CARLIE SHORT TESTIFIED WHAT LIFE HAS BEEN LIKE SINCE HER 2021 MURDER. A MAN CONVICTED IN THAT MURDER, ISAAC SMITH, LEARNED HIS FATE AS WELL IN COURT THIS MORNING. BRANDON SHORT, CARLIE’S FATHER, WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO GIVE A VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT. HE SAID HE WANTED HIS DAUGHTER TO BE REMEMBERED FOR BEING KINDHEARTED AND CARING, AND FOR THE JOY SHE HAD IN BECOMING A MOTHER. CARLIE’S MURDER WAS JUST DAYS BEFORE SHE WAS SET TO HAVE A GENDER REVEAL PARTY AND EXCITEMENT. BRANDON SHORT HIGHLIGHTED, SAYING SHE EVEN HAD NAMES ALREADY PICKED. INITIALLY, IT WAS BELIEVED THAT ISAAC SMITH WAS THE FATHER TO CARLIE’S UNBORN CHILD, BUT DNA EVIDENCE UNCOVERED DURING THE TRIAL SHOWED THAT HE WAS NOT THE FATHER. BRANDON, CALLING THAT INFORMATION UNCOVERED A BLESSING. THROUGH THIS WHOLE THING, MY GRANDCHILD WAS NOT MURDERED BY HER FATHER. HER FATHER DID NOT KILL HER. MURDERING COWARD DID. NOW, COMING UP AT FIVE, I’LL DETAIL WHAT CARLIE’S MOTHER AND STEPMOTHER HAD TO SAY AS WELL. COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH, JASMINE RODRIGUEZ, PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR, NOW COVERING BEAVER COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON. A HOUSE FIRE UNDER INVESTIGATION. FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED OVERNIGHT TO A HOME ALONG MAJOR STREET. AS YOU SEE A LOT OF DAMAGE, ESPECIALLY TO THE SECOND FLOOR OF THAT BUILDING, CREWS BELIEVE THE HOME WAS VACANT AT THE TIME. NOW, A FEW BLOCKS AWAY, STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE SHOTS BEING FIRED ON MAIN STREET. A CAR WAS HIT BY GUNFIRE AND DRIVEN TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. ALIQUIPPA POLICE SAY NO ONE WAS HURT. PITTSBURGH POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A MAN SHOT LAST NIGHT IN THE ANKLE IN EAST LIBERTY. PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SAFETY TELLS US IT HAPPENED JUST AFTER 1030 ON BAYWOOD STREET. THEY SAY THE VICTIM WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL IN STABLE CONDITION. POLICE SAY SO FAR THERE ARE NO SUSPECTS. PITTSBURGH BASED ASTROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY ENTERING A DEAL TO BE ACQUIRED BY VOYAGER TECHNOLOGIES. THAT DEAL, WORTH UP TO $300 MILLION. VOYAGER IS A PUBLICLY TRADED FIRM BASED IN DENVER, COLORADO, WHICH SERVES THE DEFENSE AND AEROSPACE SECTORS. ASTROBOTIC’S LUNAR LANDER THE GRIFFIN ONE, IS EXPECTED TO LAUNCH LATER THIS YEAR. THE COMPANY’S NORTH SIDE HEADQUARTERS WILL BECOME THE HUB OF VOYAGER’S LUNAR PROGRAM. NOW THE CEO OF ASTROBOTIC, JOHN THORNTON, SAID THIS QUOTE DURING VOYAGER PROVIDES THE SCALE, RESOURCES, AND LONG TERM COMMITMENT. OUR MISSION CALLS FOR. THE TRANSACTION, WHICH IS SUBJECT TO CUSTOMARY REGULATORY APPROVALS, IS EXPECTED TO BE CLOSED BY EARLY JULY. ALSO NEW THIS AFTERNOON, ANOTHER HURDLE HAS BEEN CLEARED FOR WVU MEDICINE TO ACQUIRE INDEPENDENCE HEALTH SYSTEM. THE TWO SIGNED A DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT TO BRING INDEPENDENCE. FIVE HOSPITALS UNDER THE WVU UMBRELLA. NOW, PART OF THE DEAL INCLUDES WVU INVESTING $800 MILLION FOR IMPROVEMENTS AND UPGRADES TO THE HOSPITALS. THAT INCLUDES A NEW ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD SYSTEM. THE TRANSACTION IS EXPECTED TO CLOSE IN LATE SEPTEMBER OR EARLY OCTOBER, PENDING REGULATORY APPROVALS. NOW WE’RE JUST THREE DAYS AWAY FROM THE START OF ENFORCEMENT OF PAUL MILLER’S LAW. POLICE WILL BEGIN ISSUING CITATIONS UNDER PENNSYLVANIA’S DISTRACTED DRIVING LAW ON FRIDAY. THAT’S RIGHT. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR ANCHOR RYAN RECKER IS HERE WITH SOME OF THE REMINDERS THAT POLICE ARE ISSUING AHEAD OF THIS TODAY. AND KELLY, AS MANY KNOW, PAUL MILLER’S LAW IS NAMED FOR A MAN KILLED BY A DRIVER WHO WAS DISTRACTED BEHIND THE WHEEL. FOR THE PAST YEAR, POLICE HAVE BEEN WARNING DRIVERS ABOUT THIS NEW LAW. STATE POLICE SAY IT IS SIMPLE IF YOU’RE HOLDING YOUR PHONE WHILE DRIVING, YOU COULD BE TICKETED. AND WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE FRIDAY IS IN THE FULL FORCE OF ENFORCEMENT. WITH A $50 CITATION, PLUS COURT COSTS AND FINES. IF YOU ARE OPERATING A VEHICLE WITH THE USE OF A CELL PHONE. SO YOU CAN’T BE TEXTING AND DRIVING, YOU CAN’T BE SENDING EMAILS, YOU CAN’T BE CHECKING APPS, YOU CAN’T BE WATCHING VIDEOS WHILE HOLDING YOUR PHONE. YOU CAN’T DO ANY OF THAT. THAT IS JUST ONE ANGLE TO THIS STORY COMING UP IN PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR AT FIVE. ADVICE ON HOW TO STAY HANDS FREE ON THE ROAD AS WE SPEAK WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM TRIPLE. A VERY IMPORTANT ADVICE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SO USED TO HOLDING THEIR PHONE WHEN THEY’RE DRIVING. YEAH. OKAY. THANKS, RYAN. NOW, NEARLY TWO YEARS SINCE THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THEN CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP, TWO OF THE MEN INJURED THAT DAY IN THE SHOOTING ARE NOW SUING THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER AVA RASH COMBED THROUGH THE LAWSUIT AND EXPLAINS THE CLAIMS FROM DAVID DUTCH AND JAMES COPENHAVER. THOSE LENGTHY LAWSUITS ALLEGE THAT THE UNITED STATES DID NOT FOLLOW PROPER PROTOCOLS ON THAT FATEFUL DAY, WHICH CAUSED THE SHOOTING. LAWSUITS FILED ON BEHALF OF TWO MEN ARE PUTTING A MICROSCOPE ON A DAY THAT WILL FOREVER BE SEALED IN AMERICAN HISTORY. DAVID DUTCH, JAMES COPENHAVER AND THEIR WIVES ARE NOW SUING THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, ASSERTING THE SHOOTING ON JULY 13TH, 2024 WAS PREVENTABLE. NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO AT THE TRUMP RALLY IN BUTLER, DUTCH AND COPENHAGEN WERE BOTH SHOT, CAUSING SERIOUS INJURIES. THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES THE SECRET SERVICE UTTERLY FAILED TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED AND NECESSARY SECURITY, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT CAME TO SECURING THE AGR ROOF, WHERE 20 YEAR OLD THOMAS CROOKS POSTED UP AND BEGAN SHOOTING. COURT DOCUMENTS STATE THE AGR COMPLEX REQUIRED SPECIAL ATTENTION SINCE THERE WAS A CLEAR LINE OF SIGHT TO THE STAGE, BUT NO OFFICERS WERE ASSIGNED TO MONITOR OR SECURE THE ROOF. SECRET SERVICE ALLEGEDLY BELIEVED LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WOULD PROVIDE MORE PRESENCE AROUND THE COMPLEX, BUT OFFICERS APPARENTLY TOLD SECRET SERVICE THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO SO. ADDITIONALLY, THEY ARGUE THERE WERE ISSUES WITH TECHNOLOGY, A SECRET SERVICE DRONE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF OTHER DRONES WAS NOT OPERATING WHEN THE SHOOTER HIMSELF WAS USING A DRONE OVER THE GROUNDS. THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE AGENT ASSIGNED HAD LIMITED EXPERIENCE AND SPENT MOST OF THE DAY TROUBLESHOOTING THE DRONE. IT WASN’T READY UNTIL 430 THAT AFTERNOON. SOME SECRET SERVICE AGENTS WERE ALLEGEDLY HEARING COMMUNICATIONS FROM AN EVENT IN PITTSBURGH WITH FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN. THOSE AGENTS HAD TO SWITCH FREQUENCIES. ON TOP OF THAT, COURT DOCUMENTS SHOW THAT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SAW THE SHOOTER ACTING ERRATICALLY PRIOR TO THE SHOOTING. BUT BECAUSE OF COMMUNICATION ISSUES, NOT ALL AGENCIES WERE AWARE OF THE THREAT EBOLA WAS ISSUED FOR HIM, BUT THAT INFORMATION WASN’T GIVEN TO ALL AGENTS, INCLUDING AGENTS SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNED TO PRESIDENT TRUMP. THE LAWSUIT SAYS THESE FAILURES WERE EGREGIOUS, AND THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THE SHOOTING DEMONSTRATED A COMPLETE AND UTTER FAILURE ON THE PART OF THE UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE TO PROTECT THE LIFE OF A FORMER PRESIDENT AND LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE. BOTH MEN AND THEIR SPOUSES ARE SEEKING AT LEAST $150,000 IN DAMAGES. WE HAVE A DEEP DIVE INTO THESE LAWSUITS OVER ON OUR WEBSITE, WTAE.COM, FOR NOW, COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY. AT THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE AVA RASH PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. AVA, THANKS. SO NOW WE WANT TO GET BACK TO THAT BREAKING NEWS THAT YOU SAW FIRST HERE ON FOUR. THE ARMSTRONG SCHOOL DISTRICT, RESPONDING TO WHAT IT IS CALLING RUMORS OF INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIPS INVOLVING STUDENTS AND STAFF. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER MARCIE CIPRIANI IS LIVE IN ARMSTRONG COUNTY FOR US THIS AFTERNOON. SO, MARCY, WHAT ARE INVESTIGATORS TELLING YOU ABOUT ALL THIS? WELL, ANDREW, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE CONFIRMED TO ME THAT THEY ARE INVESTIGATING ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THE ARMSTRONG JUNIOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. THEY SAY AT THIS POINT, THOUGH, THERE ARE NO CHARGES. SO THEY ARE NOT GIVING SPECIFIC DETAILS. HOWEVER, I DID SPEAK WITH SOME FAMILIES WHOSE CHILDREN ATTEND ARMSTRONG JUNIOR SENIOR HIGH, AND THEY TELL ME STAFF WAS ESCORTED OUT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL OVER QUESTIONS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND A POSSIBLE COVERUP, BUT THEY TELL ME THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM THE SCHOOL. SO WE REACHED OUT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HERE IS WHAT THE DISTRICT RELEASED TO US SAYING IN PART, THE DISTRICT IS AWARE OF RUMORS CIRCULATING ABOUT INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STUDENTS AND STAFF. THE DISTRICT CANNOT COMMENT ON PERSONNEL MATTERS. PARENTS WE SPOKE TO SAY THE SILENCE IS CRUSHING. WE GET MASS EMAILS WHENEVER THERE IS SOME SORT OF EVEN LIKE A KNIFE BROUGHT IN THROUGH THE METAL DETECTORS. SOMETHING SO MILD AS A KNIFE. I MEAN, THEN THEY CAN SEND OUT. YES. SO THEY CAN SEND OUT A MASS EMAIL IF THERE’S SOMETHING GENERIC, AT LEAST. SO WHY AREN’T WE BEING. MARCY, YOU SAY POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED THIS INVESTIGATION. DID THEY SAY IF ANYONE HAS BEEN CHARGED HERE? WELL, AT THIS POINT THEY’RE SAYING NO, THAT THERE ARE NO CHARGES. BUT THEY HAVE EMPHASIZED THAT THEY ARE ACTIVELY INVESTIGATING. SO I DID ASK THEM ABOUT TEACHERS AND STAFF BEING ESCORTED OUT OF THE SCHOOL. THEY SAY THAT THEY DID NOT DO THAT, BUT THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DID. AGAIN, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS GIVEN VERY LIMITED INFORMATION. ALSO A
Dispatch: Person flown to hospital after motorcycle collides with bear in Armstrong County
Updated: 10:20 PM EDT Jun 2, 2026
One person was flown to the hospital after dispatchers said a motorcycle collided with a bear in Armstrong County on Tuesday.VIDEO: Top stories on Pittsburgh’s Action News 4Officials told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that crews were called to the 1500 block of Route 66 in Bethel Township around 5 p.m. following reports of a crash involving a motorcycle. We’re told a motorcyclist had collided with a bear as he was riding along Route 66. A photo shared with Action News 4 by Bill Blose showed the motorcycle being towed away from the scene. Dispatch said the individual was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital for treatment. The extent of their injuries remains unknown. Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel
ARMSTRONG COUNTY, Pa. —
One person was flown to the hospital after dispatchers said a motorcycle collided with a bear in Armstrong County on Tuesday.
VIDEO: Top stories on Pittsburgh’s Action News 4
Officials told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that crews were called to the 1500 block of Route 66 in Bethel Township around 5 p.m. following reports of a crash involving a motorcycle.
We’re told a motorcyclist had collided with a bear as he was riding along Route 66.
A photo shared with Action News 4 by Bill Blose showed the motorcycle being towed away from the scene.
Dispatch said the individual was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital for treatment. The extent of their injuries remains unknown.
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