Pittsburgh woman dies after vehicle falls into icy Monongahela River

A Pittsburgh woman died after her vehicle plunged off Interstate 376 and into the icy Monongahela River on Thursday evening.

Jacinta Stevens, of the city's West End neighborhood, died at a local hospital hours after the crash, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office said on Friday morning. 

First responders were called to Second Avenue between the 10th Street and Birmingham bridges near UPMC Mercy around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday for reports of a vehicle falling into the river from Interstate 376, also known as the Parkway East.

Officials said the early indication is that Stevens was driving outbound on the Parkway in her Ford Explorer when she lost control and crossed lanes of traffic before hitting a snowbank on the road's right berm, going over a concrete barrier and falling more than 100 feet into the river.

Law enforcement believes the snow packed on the side of the highway acted like a frozen ramp, as Stevens likely rode the snowbank for an undetermined distance. It was not known on Friday why she lost control of her vehicle. 

"It wasn't just a straight up and over," Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said on Friday. "That Explorer rides that snow embankment for a good bit and goes over."

Pittsburgh EMS Chief Amera Gilchrist said a dive team went into the icy river and found the woman inside the vehicle. She was rescued from the water and taken to a local hospital in critical condition. The 31-year-old woman was later pronounced dead. Investigators said Stevens was submerged in the water for approximately 40 to 60 minutes.

"They had the rope system hooked up," Gilchrist said on Thursday. "They had a Stokes basket lowered down into the water. They had to harness the victim inside and then put them in the basket and hoist them up." 

Divers went back into the water and determined there were no other victims, officials said. The vehicle remains in the Monongahela River, and state police said investigators are working to get the vehicle out of the river to examine it. 

Stevens worked for the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, according to a city spokesperson. She leaves behind a child and a large extended family. Her last post on her Facebook page was one of hope and perseverance: "Your life when they don't like you is the same life when they don't: keep living happy."

Authorities said only two people called 911 after the crash. Gagliardi said there was "lesser call volume for a crash like this than we wanted." Anyone with information about the crash can call the state police at 412-299-1607. Troopers are leading the investigation.