Background: The intersection of Haymaker and McGinley roads in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (Google Maps). Inset left: Broderick Balanti (Facebook/WPXI/YouTube). Inset right: Leroy Hart (Allegheny Health Network/WTAE/YouTube).
An 88-year-old man was driving to the hospital to visit his wife when a volunteer firefighter traveling at twice the speed limit barreled into him, causing his death, Pennsylvania authorities say.
Broderick Balanti, 29, has been charged with homicide by vehicle in the death of Leroy Hart, as well as involuntary manslaughter, careless driving and reckless driving, Allegheny County court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
On Oct. 21, 2025, at about 6:25 p.m., Balanti was driving a blue Chevrolet Malibu north on Haymaker Road in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, according to the Allegheny County Police Department. The municipality is located just east of Pittsburgh.
Hart was driving a gray Nissan Quest south on Haymaker Road, and as he went to make a left turn onto McGinley Road, Balanti allegedly crashed into him.
"Detectives learned Balanti is a volunteer firefighter and was responding to a call in his personal vehicle without lights and sirens," police said. "Technology from Balanti's vehicle indicated he was traveling 71 mph one second prior to impact with Hart's vehicle."
Haymaker Road has a posted speed limit of 35 mph, Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE reported.
Balanti was taken to a local hospital with "serious" injuries, authorities said.
Hart was also brought to an area hospital. He died on Nov. 1, 2025, and "his cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma from a motor vehicle collision," police said.
While Balanti was reportedly responding to a call, Hart was apparently on his way to visit his wife in the hospital. Instead, it was she who ended up visiting him.
"My husband was fine for the first three days, and then as I'm on the phone with him, or he's not calling me, and I had to call him," Monica Hart told the regional TV station. "'I'm in Erie,'" she recalled him saying. "No, you're not in Erie, you're in Monroeville, you're at the hospital."
She said she knew something was wrong when he referenced Erie.
"I'm sitting there going, 'Oh no, this is not good, he's not going to recover.' And two days later, he went after that," she added.
Leroy and Monica Hart had been married for 56 years.
"When I went to talk to him his last few hours, he couldn't open up his eyes," Monica Hart recounted. "And then he opened up one eye, and he squeezed my hand as I said, 'I love you.'"
Balanti pleaded guilty in June 2025 in another speeding case, court records show.
In the case involving Hart, Balanti appeared in court for a preliminary arraignment on Monday. He is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 21.
Balanti's condition was not immediately clear.
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