Crime
Firefighter Responding to Call Charged in Death of Man, 88, Driving to Visit Wife in Hospital
A Pennsylvania volunteer firefighter is facing charges after police say he was driving more than twice the speed limit when he crashed into an 88-year-old man.
Broderick Balanti, 29, has been charged with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, careless driving, and reckless driving in the death of Leroy Hart, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
Police said Balanti was responding to a call in his personal Chevrolet Malibu on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, when it collided with Hart’s Nissan Quest in Monroeville, just outside Pittsburgh.
Detectives said Balanti was heading north on Haymaker Road, and Hart was heading south, and that Hart was turning left onto McGinley Road when Balanti’s car struck his, according to CBS News.
“Detectives learned Balanti is a volunteer firefighter and was responding to a call in his personal vehicle without lights and sirens,” the Allegheny County Police Department said.
Vehicle data showed Balanti was traveling 71 mph one second before impact, police said. The speed limit on Haymaker Road is 35 mph.
Hart was reportedly driving to the hospital to visit his wife, Monica Hart, who had been hospitalized, when the crash happened. Both drivers were taken to hospitals. Leroy died Saturday, November 1, 2025, from his injuries.
Monica told WTAE she realized her husband’s condition was worsening when he became confused about where he was.
“When I went to talk to him his last few hours, he couldn’t open up his eyes,” she said. “And then he opened up one eye, and he squeezed my hand as I said, ‘I love you.’” The couple had been married for 56 years.
Court records also show Balanti pleaded guilty in a separate speeding case before the crash, according to Law & Crime.
Balanti appeared for a preliminary arraignment on Monday, October 5, and is out on a $50,000 unsecured bond, according to an official statement.
He is scheduled to return to court Wednesday, October 21, one year after the crash.
He has not been convicted, and the charges are allegations.
