Mom Of 3 Killed By Steel Drum In Pittsburgh 'Held Family Together'

PITTSBURGH, PA — A Pittsburgh mother of three was killed Friday when she was struck by a steel drum after it escaped a construction site in Oakland, according to a report and the Allegheny County medical examiner.

Aleia Lopez, 51, of Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood, was walking with her co-workers around 1o:40 a.m. when a large metal drum broke free from a construction site at the University of Pittsburgh’s new sports performance center, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed. The drum rolled down a hill, broke through fencing and hit Lopez, police said.

The drum continued to roll across the street before finally coming to rest against a pick-up truck, police said.

Medics were at the scene within minutes and provided aid to Lopez, who suffered significant head injuries. She was pronounced dead at 10:45 a.m., police said.

The incident remains under investigation, officials said Friday.

In an interview with WPXI, Lopez's mother said Lopez was raising three children and was "the glue that held her family together."

"It could have happened to anybody. It just happened to my child today," Melanie Hall told WPXI. "I’m just glad no babies were hurt. No other children were hurt."

According to Hall, her daughter did not have life insurance. A GoFundMe fundraiser was started for Lopez's children and to help cover funeral costs.