Police said a Monroeville man had a blood-alcohol level of nearly four times the legal limit when he struck and killed another man along a Monroeville road in August, according to charges filed this week.
Cody Riggins, 27, is charged with drunken driving, involuntary manslaughter and homicide by vehicle in connection with the Aug. 11 death of Thomas Risko.
Allegheny County Police said Risko was walking toward Pitcairn on Route 130 when he was struck by a car driven by Riggins. A witness traveling in the opposite direction told investigators that he saw Riggins’s orange Ford Mustang convertible jump the curb, hit a concrete barrier and then hit Risko, according to the criminal complaint filed in the case.
Police said Riggins remained at the scene, and officers noticed signs that they said indicated he was intoxicated, including an odor of alcohol, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and he swayed while standing, the complaint said.
Police said Riggins failed a field sobriety test and, when asked to consent to a blood test, he said it was “going to show I’m (expletive) up,” according to the complaint.
Later testing showed Riggins’s blood-alcohol level was 0.313%, nearly four times the legal limit of 0.08%, and marijuana also was detected in his system, the complaint said.
In an interview with investigators, police said Riggins said a man walking on the right side of the road had jumped out in front of his car, according to the complaint.
County police filed charges Wednesday, and investigators said Riggins turned himself in Thursday. He remained in Allegheny County Jail awaiting arraignment. Court records did not list a defense attorney.
