Police are looking for a driver and vehicle that struck a member of Pottsville's Fire Police Friday Morning.
According to Pottsville Police, on Friday, August 17, 2018 around 9:30am, Pottsville Police officers were dispatched to the area of the 200 block of Peacock St. for a report of a volunteer Fire Policeman having been struck by a vehicle that had already fled the scene.
Upon arrival on scene, Pottsville Police made contact with a 72 year old Pottsville man who was laying on the ground being treated by Pottsville EMS due to pain associated with being struck by the vehicle.
The victim informed Police that a male had been operating a black Kia vehicle while the fire policeman had been diverting traffic from the scene of an earlier fire in the 500 block of Peacock Street.
The driver cursed at the fire policeman, ignored his instructions, and then drove around the volunteer.
Once the vehicle driver realized the street was blocked off he attempted to turn around and the fire policeman called for assistance in detaining the vehicle operator.
The driver then stopped the Kia in front of the fire policeman before accelerating and striking him with the front driver’s side of the vehicle, knocking the victim to the ground before fleeing the scene eastbound on Peacock Street.
Additional witnesses noted that the driver had been wearing some type of red attire on his head at the time of the incident.
The victim was treated on scene by Schuylkill EMS and then transported to a local medical facility for follow-up care. He was discharged a short time after.
The investigation is continuing and anyone with surveillance camera footage of the general area at the time of the incident or any other information to help identify the vehicle and/or driver is asked to call the Pottsville Bureau of Police at 570-622-1234 or 570-628-3792
Photo Courtesy of JC Kriesher/Fire & Film