Charges are now filed in a deadly crash that happened last year in Monroeville.
Allegheny County police announced charges against 29-year-old Broderick Balanti after they said he caused a deadly crash on Haymaker Road on Oct. 21, 2025.
Investigators say Balanti, a volunteer firefighter in Monroeville, was responding to a call in his personal vehicle without lights and sirens when Leroy Hart, 88, crossed in front of Balanti at the light to turn onto McGinley Road.
Hart was transported to an area hospital after the crash. He died on Nov. 1, 2025. His cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma from a motor vehicle collision, according to county police.
Through witness interviews, detectives determined Balanti was traveling north on Haymaker Road, while Hart was traveling south on Haymaker Road. Hart attempted to turn left onto McGinley Road when he was struck by Balanti’s vehicle.
Technology from Balanti’s vehicle indicated he was traveling 71 mph one second before impact with Hart’s vehicle.
KDKA-TV spoke to Hart’s daughter. She believes this never should have happened to her father.
“He was going to visit his wife of 56 years. She had been in an accident a couple of weeks prior, so he was going to visit her,” Gina Machen said. “The fact that he spent his last two weeks in torture and in trauma in a hospital bed breaks my heart every day when I think about it.”
Machen also questions why Balanti wasn’t using lights, even if it was his personal vehicle.
“I have seen fire people, workers that have a personal vehicle, and they have lights on it,” she said. “I think it’s crap. At least blow your horn or something to make people aware. That stretch of road, like I was saying, is pretty straight. He should have seen that intersection before he arrived.”
As for what would justice look like?
“I would really like for him to not be a firefighter anymore. I think the fact that you took someone’s life, you are supposed to be a hero and you did the opposite; you took someone’s life.”
KDKA-TV asked about the policy for using lights in a personal vehicle and if Balanti is still a firefighter with the department, but did not hear back as of Monday afternoon. A message was also left for Balanti’s attorney.
Balanti turned himself in on Monday morning, with court officials saying he is out on a $50,000 unsecured bond. He is facing multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving.
