Police Log - June 25, 2002 - PA
Two police officers and a teenager sustained slight injuries
this morning as a result of an incident which involved three
stolen vehicles including a police cruiser and an accident.
The first stolen car was allegedly operated by the teen, age 15,
who was pulled over by police for driving erratically on Route 903
in Kidder Township at about 12:20 a.m.
The boy reportedly fled from police on foot, circled around, jumped
into Kidder Township's police cruiser, and sped away.
Later, he abandoned the cruiser and allegedly stole another vehicle.
He happened to pass state police who identified the car. The chain of
events wound down with a crash involving the teen's car and a police
cruiser from Mahoning Township in Jim Thorpe shortly after 5 a.m.
Again the teen fled on foot, but this time was captured in a
railroad yard.
The identity of the teen was not known.
Officer Frank Loraix of the Jim Thorpe Police Department reportedly
injured his hand or wrist while giving pursuit of the suspect.
He was treated at Gnaden Memorial Hospital, Lehighton, and
released.
Mahoning Township police officer Steven Stout reportedly had
minor cuts. He also was treated and released at the hospital.
The teenager had minor injuries, it was reported.
Austin Boff, officer in charge of the Kidder Township Police
Department, said the chain of events began when officers Matthew
Kuzina and Robert Naprava were on patrol in the township and
observed a vehicle being driven erratically. The vehicle was pulled-
over by the two officers at Volaflo's, a strip mall along Route 903.
A check with the Carbon County Telecommunications Center
indicated the vehicle was stolen from the Harrisburg area
and tile registration plate was from a different vehicle.
The driver fled on foot, with police officers giving pursuit.
Boll said, "The kid doubled back and stole the marked police
cruiser."
Police officers from miles around assisted Kidder in the incident,
Bott said. They included officers from the Fern Ridge, Lehighton,
and Pocono barracks of the state police, the Pocono Regional Police
Department, and local police departments from throughout the area.
Dogs also were utilized during the search.
At about 3:30 a.m., an ambulance corps member saw an individual
matching the description of the teen at the Hickory Run Truck
Plaza in Kidder Township. That individual fled.
Meanwhile, the stolen police cruiser was found along Church Road
in Penn Forest Township where it reportedly was abandoned. Bott
said there appeared to be some damages visible.
Shortly after 5 a.m. today, the search dogs were leading searchers
toward Penn Forest Streams Development when a report came over
that a vehicle a Geo Tracker was stolen from there.
Troopers from the Lehighton barracks of the state police happened
to pass a vehicle fining the description of the stolen one on Route
903. They gave pursuit into Jim Thorpe.
The Tracker reportedly crashed with a cruiser from Mahoning
Township driven by Stout at the intersection of Routes 209 and 903.
Again the driver fled, this time climbing down a 40-foot embankment
and running through a railroad yard.
Several police officers gave chase and apprehended the suspect.
The Mahoning car and the Tracker sustained severe front end
damages.
The investigation is being handled by Trooper Larry Fedor of
the Lehighton barracks of the State Police.
Police officers from numerous Carbon County police departments
were at the scene in Jim Thorpe this morning. The Jim Thorpe
Ambulance Corps also assisted.
Jim Thorpe Chief of Police Barry Andrews and officer Nick Kuzo, as
well as a member of the Jim Thorpe Fire Police, handled traffic
control at the intersection of Routes 209 and 903. As a result,
the flow of traffic was maintained with only minor delays.
The investigation is continuing.
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