Man pleads guilty to crime spree that paralyzed woman
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A man who police say was a one-man terror spree, stealing and crashing cars and injuring half a dozen people in his wake pleaded guilty Monday but a woman whom he left paralyzed is looking for justice.
Mary Carlson is a mother of three children who was headed home that night after driving an Uber in Pittsburgh. She will never walk again and wants to see justice done.
Derek Brown was free to leave the courthouse Monday after pleading guilty in connection with a one-man spree of terror through the city one year ago. But miles away in Latrobe, Carlson was confined to her wheelchair, a paraplegic never to walk or use her hands again.
"I'm paralyzed. This is a life-long injury for me," she said.
Carlson's injuries are the most severe of a half dozen victims injured in Brown's spree. After stealing a cellphone that night, police say Brown took off up East Carson, slamming into a car near the Hot Metal Bridge. There, he's accused of dragging the injured driver out, stealing the car and speeding up Second Avenue, sideswiping cars and intentionally trying to run over two pedestrians.
Police say he crashed into a Speedway store before speeding out to the Parkway East where he caused a three-car crash, involving Carlson and others. He flagged down another car, dragged that driver out, stole that car and fled outbound. Later he was arrested at a Red Roof Inn in Monroeville, but Carlson's life was forever changed.
"I have three children and they have been stripped of their childhood because of things they had to learn to help me. A child shouldn't have to see that or have to do that," she said.
Brown pleaded guilty to charges including causing accidents involving bodily injury and robbery of motor vehicles, but the number of counts was reduced from 30 to 14 and under guidelines and because Brown has no prior convictions.
His attorney told the judge he is undergoing treatment for mental illness and substance abuse. He may be looking at months and not years in jail.
"To me, that is not justice, whether he had previous arrests or not. What's that say to the next person -- I don't care if they're drunk, high, sober, whatever -- who decides to do real life grand theft auto again?" Carlson said.
Brown is out on bail and will be sentenced by Judge Tom Flaherty in August.
