According to a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, John Struble, Jr., of Derry Borough, had purchased the car earlier in the day on Dec. 15 and had parked it at his home, when it apparently started rolling out-of-control down a hill with Struble still behind the wheel. Struble was frantically blowing the horn to warn pedestrians as he neared a cross street.

Struble suffered fatal head injuries when he apparently dove out of the car and struck his head, the Post-Gazette noted. The empty GTO continued to roll onto nearby railroad tracks where it was hit by a Norfolk Southern freight train. Struble was found about 100 yards from the tracks.

Relatives told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the car had been Struble's Christmas gift to himself. He was the owner-operator of a local auto repair shop and enjoyed old cars.

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