Parked cruiser hit by train as police pursue suspect

The mayor said the city has insurance for its vehicles.

STAFF REPORT

SALEM — City officials weren’t upset about the damage to a cruiser that a patrolman parked a little too close to the train tacks.

The unidentified Salem officer left his cruiser to help arrest a man who was illegally riding a four-wheeler on railroad tracks at 12:47 a.m. Sunday.

Police Chief Robert Floor said the city officer was responding to a call from a Perry Township police officer who had started chasing a man who was driving the four-wheeler.

The township officer was chasing the vehicle near Elsworth Avenue, so the Salem officer went to the South Lincoln Avenue railroad crossing to box him in, the chief said.

But Floor said a train hit the cruiser around its right front tire and put a large dent in the vehicle.

The chief said Monday that a local repair shop was looking over the damage. He was not sure if the vehicle could be repaired.

Mayor Jerry Wolford said, “I didn’t get a copy of the report” from police officials.

Steve Andres, the city’s safety-service director, was unavailable to comment.

The good news is, “We have regular insurance,” the mayor added.

Floor said the officer who left the cruiser is normally upbeat but was not so happy after the accident. The chief said there could be an in-house administrative review of what happened.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated the crash and is to release the results of its probe today.

The patrol said it had the reports from both city and Perry Township police departments.

The person being chased was Dennis Hecker, 29, of Townsend Avenue, Girard.

He is charged with failure to comply with an order of a police officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to court records, he said would obtain his own lawyer.

A preliminary hearing was set for 11 a.m. Dec. 12.