An investigation into the death of Moosic resident Cody Barrasse has uncovered two different stories about how he was killed by a car in a Pittsburgh neighborhood over the weekend.
Friends who were with Mr. Barrasse, 22, told police the driver purposely hit him. The driver, whose identity police have not released, said he accidentally hit Mr. Barrasse, according to a preliminary investigative report.
A Penn State University senior and 2009 Scranton Prep graduate, Mr. Barrasse is the son of Lackawanna County Judge Michael Barrasse and Dr. Linda D'Andrea Barrasse.
Pittsburgh police Public Information Officer Diane Richard said the call that a pedestrian was hit by a silver BMW came in around 2:15 a.m. Saturday. When police arrived in the 3800 block of Bates Street in Oakland, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, they found Mr. Barrasse, 22, unconscious and bleeding from the head. He was rushed to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian, where he died at 4:46 a.m. Sunday.
The BMW fled on Bates Street toward Boulevard of the Allies before police arrived.
No one had been charged in the incident as of Monday, police officials said. They released little other information, including the names of the driver or the people with Mr. Barrasse.
Friends of Mr. Barrasse told police they saw the crash happen and the driver purposely hit Mr. Barrasse.
The driver, who called 911 after the crash, told officers he and a passenger were driving on Bates Street when they encountered three men in the street. The driver stopped to avoid hitting them, but the three surrounded the car and began pounding on the roof and hood. They said one of the men pulled open one of the car's doors.
That's when the driver fled, telling officers he was trying to avoid any possible harm or further confrontation.
Initial stages of the ongoing investigation indicate the driver showed no signs of impairment.
An autopsy will be conducted on Mr. Barrasse today, according to the Allegheny County medical examiner's office.
The witnesses and driver were taken to Pittsburgh Police Headquarters for questioning. Pittsburgh accident investigation and homicide officials are continuing the investigation, Officer Richard said.
According to an obituary submitted by the family, Mr. Barrasse donated eight organs. His heart went to a 9-year-old Pittsburgh boy.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday at 10 a.m. at St. John Neumann Parish, the former Nativity of Our Lord Church, 633 Orchard St., Scranton. Calling hours will be at the church on Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m.
A family friend who answered the phone at the Barrasse home on Monday said the family was not making a statement at this time.
Mr. Barrasse's obituary appears on Page B10.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter