Chester County flags fly at halfstaff to honor fallen state troopers
Chester County Commissioners have ordered county flags to fly at half-staff to honor Pennsylvania State Troopers Martin Mack III and Branden Sisca who were killed earlier this week. Trooper Sisca attended West Chester University and was an active member of Chester County’s first responder community.
Sisca and Mack were responding early Monday to reports of a man, later identified as Oliveras, walking south on I-95 near mile marker 18 in Philadelphia, according to state police. Officers had been helping him into the back of their cruiser when the suspect, later identified as Jayana Tanae Webb, 21, of Eagleview, allegedly “attempted to drive past the scene” and fatally struck all three (people) and the cruiser just before 1 a.m. and remained at the scene. She is being held without bail on murder charges.
Sisca and Mack worked in the patrol division of Pennsylvania State Police Troop K, state police said. Mack enrolled back in 2014 and Sisca joined the force last February.
Sisca, a 2014 graduate of West Chester University, originally began his journey with the Montgomery County-based department as a junior firefighter, according to a post on the fire company’s website. Along with Sisca’s role as fire company treasurer, he advanced several positions from lieutenant to captain to battalion chief to deputy chief before assuming the top leadership position of fire chief.
“Our department is heartbroken with the tragedy that occurred early this morning in Philadelphia,” said Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Robert Evanchick on Monday. “We ask our fellow Pennsylvanians to keep the families of our troopers and the pedestrian in their thoughts. This is an extremely difficult time.”