A Sad Day For Middletown Township, PA
By Wyatt Earp | January 29, 2009
The terrible accident scene.
Middletown Township, PA has lost one of their heroes today.
MIDDLETOWN TWP., Pa. ― A Middletown Township police officer died from injuries suffered during a collision on Route 1 Thursday morning.
The accident occurred during a routine traffic stop on the northbound side of Route 1 near I-95 at about 11 a.m.
Police said Officer Chris Jones was writing a ticket when a passing Toyota Corolla rear-ended a nearby Pontiac Grand Prix. The Toyota then struck the officer’s cruiser, trapping him under the vehicle.
The officer was freed from the wreckage and rushed to St. Mary Hospital trauma center where he was later pronounced dead around 12:30 p.m.
Officer Jones, a married father of three children, was a 10 year veteran of the force. He was looking forward to his upcoming promotion to detective. (H/T - CBS3)
An absolutely terrible story. I have made a few car stops in my career on Interstate 95, and it is always a little scary. U.S. 1 is just as busy. The vehicles come at you so fast, you never know what is going to happen.
Please pray for Officer Jones’ family.
(Sebastian has more on this story HERE.)
Topics: The Job |
January 29th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Was talking to Bitter, and she mentioned there were a lot of cars parked around the end of the street, as well as a Lower Makefield Twp. police cruiser. Then hit the traffic, and heard the report on KYW. Age seemed about right, and when I saw the picture on the news I knew it was our neighbor.
I drive past his kids playing all the time on the way back home from work. It’s going to be tough looking at them now knowing what they lost.
January 29th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Ever since the State Police started working I-95 in the city they have a hard time with the way we operate. We have an accident response specifically set up for expressways. Engine, Ladder and Medic Unit. The first part of ANY PFD operation is scene safety. We use the ladder to block however many lanes necessary to work safely. Sometimes we stop traffic completely for a minute or so just to cause a back up. This way the speeds are reduced when we reopen them. Otherwise some of these dim wits would blow past us at 75 MPH.
For the most part you never hear about our guys getting hit on the expressways and that’s the reason. Cops get clipped all the time.
Prayers go out for the officers family. Sad stuff.
January 29th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Thoughts and prayers sent. It is always a tragedy when an officer goes down LOD.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
I hope you have a law in your state like ours that convicts anyone that strikes an officer while on the side of the road.
January 29th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Deanna, I wouldn’t assume that a book needs to be thrown in this case. They were still investigating just what happened as of at least 7 tonight. From the sounds of it based on the latest I’ve read, there were two cars in an accident and in the course of that accident, one happened to hit the cruiser which then hit the officer. There may have been cause for charges, or it may just be a truly tragic and rare accident. No one dared to try and run from the scene, so I doubt there was any ill intent. I’m sure all involved, including the others who suffered injuries, are feeling pretty terrible tonight.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:29 am
Very sad. Let’s wait for the investigation but it sounds like it could be a tragic accident. Does the force have a support system for the family? They will need it.
You go safely, Marshall.
January 30th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Thoughts and prayers for his family. A terrible tragedy.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Second what USA_Admiral said.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Thats a damned shame, truly. Thoughts and prayers sent, God Bless him and his family, and Godspeed Officer Jones.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
I don’t know if its wrong for me to not be as angry this time. It wasn’t some scumbag who should be doing life in Graterford. I wasn’t a drunk on his way to his 5th AA meeting. It was just a tragic accident. Either way, its too many leaving and making the Thin Blue Line a lot thinner!
January 31st, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Thoughts and prayers sent to the family of Officer Jones, and to his PD. A very tragic story.
May he R.I.P.