Ex-Steeler's mother saw problems
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH -- Former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Justin Strzelczyk probably suffered a mental breakdown before he led New York state troopers on a highway chase that ended in the fiery head-on crash that killed him, according to a newspaper.
Strzelczyk, 36, was fleeing from a hit-and-run accident just west of Syracuse, N.Y., on Sept. 30. His truck went on the New York State Thruway for miles in the wrong direction before colliding with a tanker truck.
The theory on Strzelczyk's psychological well-being comes from New York State Police interviews with people the ex-lineman encountered before the chase, investigator James Hunt told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review for a story published Saturday.
"Whether it was drug- or alcohol-induced or something psychological related to a pre-existing illness, or both, I don't know," said Hunt, who is in charge of the case. "All of a sudden he snapped."
Troopers believe alcohol may have played a role in Strzelczyk's death but won't know until toxicology tests are completed by the state police crime lab in Albany, which could take weeks.
Hunt said a woman told investigators that she talked with Strzelczyk at a gas station near Rochester, N.Y., on the morning of the crash.
"He spoke to her and asked her questions about did she believe in God and did she have children, and he told her it was very important that she get her children to the higher ground," Hunt said.
Two hours before his death, Strzelczyk tried to give his money to another customer at the gas station, but the customer refused, Hunt said. He did pay for the person's fuel, Hunt said.
"I don't want to say he was delusional, but he had made repeated references to God and demons and other things," Hunt said. "Some of his friends and family had been trying to get him help."
Strzelczyk's mother, Mary Joyce Strzelczyk, of West Seneca, N.Y., was quoted earlier as saying that she suspected that her son may have been suffering from an untreated mental or emotional illness, and she had "seen trouble with his mood disorders coming." She did not return a phone call Friday evening.
Strzelczyk's ex-wife, Keana Strzelczyk, did not have a listed phone number.
Strzelczyk was an offensive lineman with the Steelers for nearly a decade until the team released him in February 2000. Six-foot-3, 309-pound Strzelczyk played in the 1995 Super Bowl.
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