Westmoreland County man charged in fatal I-70 hit-and-run

Anthony Joseph Pugliano, a resident of Westmoreland County, has been charged in connection with a March fatal hit-and-run on Interstate 70 in Canton Township. Authorities state that Pugliano was driving an SUV east on the highway around 4 a.m. on March 8 when he struck 46-year-old Timothy Booker.

Following the collision, Pugliano allegedly continued driving for approximately 46 miles toward his home near Irwin without stopping or notifying authorities. While Pugliano and his passengers initially told police they believed they had struck a deer, investigators identified the vehicle using debris found at the scene, including a driver’s side mirror and a front fender.

Police utilized surveillance footage from Wheeling and vehicle identification numbers to link the Jeep Grand Cherokee to Pugliano. Investigators also recovered cloths used to wipe down the vehicle after the incident.