By Katherine Harmon
The Evening Sun
PENN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Two officers from Penn and West Manheim townships were treated and released from area hospitals after they were injured in an early Saturday morning crash on Baltimore Street.
The two were finishing up a traffic stop in Penn Township when Freddie B. Degraffinried, 36, of York, rear-ended the Penn Township cruiser, pushing it into the other cruiser as well, according to state police at York.
Both officers were inside their vehicles, with their emergency lights still on when the crash occurred, their departments said.
Penn Township Officer Nathanael D. Behrendt, 34, suffered moderate injuries and was taken to York Hospital for treatment, according to a statement from his department. West Manheim Township Officer Joshua A. Bower, 35, was treated and released from Hanover Hospital, his chief, Tim Hippensteel, said.
The accident occurred around 3:40 a.m. Saturday, after Bower initiated a traffic stop on Baltimore Street just south of Meadow Lane, state police said. Behrendt was there to assist. The vehicle they pulled over had just left and the two were about to return to service, Hippensteel said.
Degraffinried was traveling northbound when he rear-ended Behrendt’s cruiser, causing major damage, police said. The collision spun Behrendt’s vehicle around and pushed it 23 feet forward into the rear of Bower’s cruiser, causing minor damage.
Degraffinried was cited with careless driving, and state police at York had no information Sunday on whether or not other charges could be expected.
Chief Hippensteel said Bower took Saturday night off, and was returning to work Sunday evening. Bower was experiencing some stiffness, but was doing all right, he added. Penn Township’s statement had no further information on Behrendt’s condition.
Hippensteel said the officers were lucky, and that if they were standing in between the vehicles, the scenario could have been much worse.
Both departments were assisted by state police and Penn Township EMS.
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