Trooper Stuck in Concrete during Chase

Trooper Stuck in Concrete during Chase

Wednesday, May 24, 5:55 p.m.By Rosa Yum

A state police car became stuck in wet concrete alont Interstate 380 Wednesday during a chase.
A chase through a construction zone landed a state police cruiser in wet concrete Wednesday afternoon. The van it was chasing crashed farther up the highway and the driver, who fled on foot, was then hit by a tractor-trailer.
It all started with a chase in a construction zone in Monroe County. State Police got a call that a van was threatening the safety of construction workers.
The chase came to an abrupt end when the trooper's car became stuck in the wet concrete along a newly paved Interstate 380 north, just where it splits from Interstate 80 west.
Police said the trooper was trying to stop a van illegally traveling on a closed lane where road crews were working.
"The vehicle was actually able to make a change back onto the roadway and was able to get out and get away," explained Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Joseph Racho.
The trooper chasing the van couldn't change directions in time and ended up in concrete that had been poured just a few hours earlier.
With some help, the trooper was later able to back the car out of the concrete.
The contractors were hoping they could repair the damaged concrete but upon closer inspection, they realized they will have to take out the whole section of road and replace it.The van that was being chased ended up crashing west of the construction zone, along I-80 near Lake Harmony.
"He got out and people were trying to help him. He was trying to steal their car. He couldn't get it out of park so he dove into the road. I later talked to the truck driver. He didn't speak very good English. What I got from him was that he was driving along and the guy just dove into the road and he hit him," said tow truck driver Barry StCyr. He was called in to tow the van. "Traffic was stopped and medivac was on the highway, fire trucks everywhere, cops and also the people who had stopped to help him that he tried to take their vehicle."
Police have not released the name of the driver but said the van had a New York license plate. The driver was flown to Scranton's Community Medical Center.
There is no word on his condition.