Wondering what that massive stone truck is on McKnight Road? It's a heartwarming tribute
Sometimes you see something in your daily travels and your brain thinks, "What the heck is that?"
That's exactly what a lot of drivers along McKnight Road are likely thinking when they pass a sculpture that now appears on the side of the road. Especially at night, when there is no way that you could miss it.
"It's supposed to be full-size, a full-size truck," said David Colosimo.
Colosimo is the owner of Barn Landscaping, and he said that the sculpture is made entirely of stone.
"Everything on there is the stone that we sell," he said.
It isn't just about promoting the business. The driver's door says that it's a tribute to his father, Bobby.
"It seemed like the perfect thing to do for him, and so we made a full-size, one-to-one, scale truck in his honor, a nice memorial up there," said Joe Izzy.
It's a memorial because Bobby got sick and died unexpectedly last October. Long-time friend and colleague Izzy said there is only one way to describe Bobb Colosimo.
"He was larger than life," he said.
Bobby Colosimo cherished his family and friends, but he was also a businessman. He once owned parking lots near Three Rivers Stadium, and his 40 Daroco truckers were everywhere, paving, plowing, and hauling. Then there is Barn Landscaping on the terraced hillside at Babcock and McKnight.
"He always wanted to do something very special on McKnight Road for the community, something spectacular," Izzy recalled.
Izzay said in the wave of mourning after Bobby's passing, the idea of the stone truck was born, and they pulled it off a rock that Peter built.
"The deck on the trucks, 23-foot, like our block truck, the cab is the same height, the width, the tires, 44-inch tires on there," Izzy said. "That's what you see on a tractor-trailer."
At night, its running lights illuminate the Ross Township corner and can be changed to match the season or the occasion.
"He would probably stand on McKnight Road," Izzy said. "Didn't care about the traffic, and just look at it. I know he's somewhere looking at it right now, but you know, this would be the top for him."
Over-the-top is a great description of Bobby Colosimo. He actually floated the idea of a full-size Flintstones car for the spot. While it's not quite finished, they have a sign for The Barn that will soon be mounted in the truck sculpture's bed.
As for his family, they love it. They are all still very shaken by his passing, but his wife Robin loves the tribute.
When my family moved to Pittsburgh, Robin and Bobby were our next-door neighbors, and this truck is a perfect reflection of Bobby.
