Man pleads guilty to 2020 cyclist homicide
A North Side man on Monday pleaded guilty to 10 charges in connection to the 2020 death of a Pittsburgh bicyclist.
Justin Miller, 35, entered the pleas, including to homicide by vehicle while DUI, in the death of Curtis Brown, 51. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward Borkowski set sentencing for August.
On May 23, 2020, around 12:30 p.m., police were called after witnesses reported a motorist swerving while driving and nearly hitting other vehicles head-on on Nicholson Road in Franklin Park.
After taking Miller into custody, police found four empty bags of heroin on his person and an additional 15 bags were recovered.
Around the same time police were alerted to Miller, medics were dispatched to the 700 block of Big Sewickley Creek Road in Bell Acres for a cyclist who had been struck by a vehicle and was bleeding and unconscious.
Witnesses said they observed Miller swerving in and out of opposing traffic before striking Brown headon and driving away.
The victim was airlifted to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to the criminal complaint, Miller did not initially recall hitting anything.
Eventually, Miller said he did “bump” into a person riding a bike but said the biker got up and rode away.
Miller pleaded guilty to one count each of the following: homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault on a police officer, fleeing and eluding, accidents involving death while not properly licensed, DUI, recklessly endangering another person, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The district attorney’s office said no agreement has been made on the sentencing.