W. Pa. officer, Volant man hurt in fall from overpass
HARMONY, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania police officer and a drunken driving suspect are both being treated for unspecified injuries after falling more than 20 feet from a highway overpass ending a 20-mile, high-speed chase mostly on Interstate 79 in Butler County.
State police are investigating and are not releasing the name of the 47-year-old Cranberry Township officer hurt about 10:45 p.m. Monday.
Police say the officer was one of several chasing 22-year-old Thomas William Booth, of Volant, who allegedly sped away from an officer in Sewickley Heights, prompting the chase.
Police say stop sticks were used to deflate Booth’s tires before he ran from the vehicle and jumped off a 22-foot-high overpass to Tollgate Road below. The Cranberry officer also fell and was hurt during the chase. Both men were flown to Pittsburgh hospitals, where their conditions were not immediately available.