SOUTH STRABANE, Penn. — An off-duty South Strabane police officer and a truck driver were killed yesterday in a chain-reaction crash that shut down Interstate 70 in Washington County for more than seven hours.
Police Officer Nathaniel Burnfield, 27, was pronounced dead about 3:15 p.m. at the scene of the crash, which occurred in westbound lanes of I-70 near the Bentleyville exit in Fallowfield.
Officer Burnfield and two other police officers were returning from a training session when they spotted a disabled UPS truck on the berm. One of the truck's tires had come off and remained in the roadway, state police said.
The officers, in a marked police SUV, turned on their emergency lights and pulled off to the side of the freeway. Officer Burnfield, who was a passenger in the SUV, got out and walked onto the highway to remove the tire.
As Officer Burnfield was walking back to the SUV, a dump truck driven by Ronald Kennedy, of Connellsville, came upon the scene. Mr. Kennedy, apparently unable to stop, swerved to avoid hitting the police SUV and in the process, struck Officer Burnfield, police said.
The dump truck then drove along the berm, hit a guardrail and struck the disabled UPS truck and rolled onto its side. Mr. Kennedy, 44, also died at the scene.
Both men died of multiple blunt force trauma, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco. The other two officers were uninjured.
South Strabane police Chief Don Zofchak said Mr. Burnfield, a five-year veteran of the department, "died the way he lived," as he stopped to help clear the roadway and help another motorist.
"That was Burnfield's nature, frankly," Chief Zofchak said last night at the police department, where officers gathered to mourn and an American flag hung at half-staff. "I would receive compliments on a regular basis about him going the extra mile to assist motorists."
Mr. Burnfield was a graduate of Trinity High School and went on to become a South Strabane patrol officer who specialized in traffic details and first aid, among other skills.
He was a volunteer firefighter in Canton and worked as an arson investigator for South Strabane's 15-member police department, Chief Zofchak said.
He helped train officers in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, and was attending a three-day tactical training seminar at California University of Pennsylvania when he died.
Chief Zofchak also described Mr. Burnfield as a family man, who was especially close to his two brothers.
"We're all in shock," he said. "We're going to miss him. He was a very integral part of the police department."
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Both westbound lanes of I-70 reopened after 10 p.m., state police said.