Perryopolis officer killed in two-vehicle accident
2 min read
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State police responded to a fatal two-vehicle accident around 1:30 p.m. Sunday on Route 51 near Star Junction in Perry Township. Police said a Perryopolis police officer was killed in the crash while the other motorist was taken to an area hospital.
Joel Brewton | Herald-Standard
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State police responded to a fatal two-vehicle accident around 1:30 p.m. Sunday on Route 51 near Star Junction in Perry Township. Police said a Perryopolis police officer was killed in the crash while the other motorist was taken to an area hospital.
Joel Brewton | Herald-Standard
3 / 5
State police responded to a fatal two-vehicle accident around 1:30 p.m. Sunday on Route 51 near Star Junction in Perry Township. Police said a Perryopolis police officer was killed in the crash while the other motorist was taken to an area hospital.
Joel Brewton | Herald-Standard
4 / 5
State police responded to a fatal two-vehicle accident around 1:30 p.m. Sunday on Route 51 near Star Junction in Perry Township. Police said a Perryopolis police officer was killed in the crash while the other motorist was taken to an area hospital.
Joel Brewton | Herald-Standard
5 / 5
State police responded to a fatal two-vehicle accident around 1:30 p.m. Sunday on Route 51 near Star Junction in Perry Township. Police said a Perryopolis police officer was killed in the crash while the other motorist was taken to an area hospital.
Joel Brewton | Herald-Standard
A Perryopolis police officer is dead following a two-vehicle crash on Route 51 near Star Junction earlier today.
Captain Steven G. Kontaxes, Perryopolis police, identified the officer as Richard Champion, 35, of Ligonier.
State police said the driver of the second vehicle, Andrew V. Bohatch Jr., 59, of Uniontown sustained major injuries and was taken Uniontown Hospital, later to a Pittsburgh area hospital.
Police said the police cruiser had its emergency lights and siren activated when the collision occurred around 1:30 p.m. near the office of Magisterial District Judge Richard Kasunic II and the Big Red Barn, a local store on Route 51.
Kontaxes said Champion was pursuing a suspect when the crash occurred. He said the suspect was not involved in the crash, but remains at large.
Police said the cruiser caught on fire.
Kontaxes said people attempted to rescue Champion from the burning vehicle, but they were unsuccessful.
State police said the officer died at the scene.
A state police accident reconstruction expert was called in to complete a crash analysis.
During the crash investigation, a section of Route 51 was closed and traffic re-routed around the crash scene.
The borough of Perryopolis has a small municipal department that employs a handful of full- and part-time officers.
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