Police officer cleared in pedestrian accident
LOWER POTTSGROVE >> Police have finished an internal investigation into a patrol car that struck a pedestrian in late July.
According to a release from Lower Pottsgrove Police, an internal investigation of a July 22 accident involving a pedestrian hit by a patrol car has cleared the officer of any wrongdoing. The matter has now been turned over to the township insurance carrier.
Police said on the night of the accident, Sgt. Scott Weidenhammer had been on routine patrol travelling westbound on the 1600 block of East High Street at around 11:10 p.m. He had been driving within the speed limit when he entered the bridge at Sprogels Run. He then encountered two juveniles walking along
the westbound shoulder and moved his patrol car around them. After passing the juveniles, the officer travelled a short distance down the road where he encountered Ronald Morris, 52, of Conshohocken, walking in the center of the westbound traffic lane, police said. The officer did not see him and struck him, throwing him over the hood of the vehicle and onto the ground in the westbound lane.
Weidenhammer and two other officers immediately administered first aid to Morris and he was taken by Goodwill Ambulance to Heritage Field in Limerick to be transported by medical helicopter to Paoli Hospital.
Limerick Police and Montgomery County Detectives assisted Lower Pottsgrove Police at the scene.
Police Chief Michael Foltz said last week that although he did not know the extent of Morris’ injuries, police were told by the hospital that Morris was going to be released.