 After pausing next to a display with photos of officers killed in the line of duty, Police commissioner Charles Ramsey exits a news conference at police headquarters, in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008. (AP Phoo) |
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Pa. police veteran killed in horrific crash
Officer Down: Sgt. Timothy Simpson
By Kathy Matheson
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — A career criminal who police said had just made a drug run on a suspended driver’s license was trying to elude authorities when his vehicle struck a squad car, killing a veteran police sergeant, officials said Tuesday.
Sgt. Timothy Simpson, on the Philadelphia police force for 20 years, was the fifth city officer killed in the line of duty in just over a year.
The sergeant was responding to a report of a robbery at a nearby pizza store when his squad car was struck from behind by the suspect’s vehicle. Simpson, 46, died at a hospital Monday night, Deputy Police Commissioner William Blackburn said.
William Foster, 41, of Levittown, was charged with vehicular homicide while driving under the influence, third-degree murder, drug offenses and related counts.
Foster has been arrested at least 20 times in various jurisdictions dating back to 1986, including twice this month alone before the crash, police said. Most charges were theft- and vehicle-related. He was on probation at the time of the crash.
Police spotted Foster driving erratically Monday night, but he did not pull over when officers activated their lights. Instead, he sped up and ran at least one red light before entering an intersection and slamming into the back of Simpson’s squad car, police said.
Both cars were demolished, and the impact sent the cruiser into a building. Police, who estimate Foster was going more than 50 miles per hour, believe Simpson had the green light and his emergency signals were activated.
A police officer lights a candles at a memorial for Sgt. Timothy Simpson at the scene of a car crash in Philadelphia. (AP Photo) |
While emergency workers were attending to Foster at the hospital, three packets of heroin fell out of his clothes, Blackburn said. Police believe he had come into the city to buy drugs.
Police do not yet have blood test results on Foster, but Blackburn said the suspect’s mannerisms, gait and an odor of alcohol on his breath were enough evidence to charge him with driving under the influence.
Earlier this month, Foster was involved in a traffic stop in Philadelphia during which police found a disassembled shotgun in the car, Blackburn said. That did not constitute a weapons violation, but police did arrest Foster on an outstanding warrant, Blackburn said.
Two days later, on Nov. 5, he was arrested on a retail theft charge, police said.
Foster remained in custody Tuesday afternoon. Police did not know if he had a lawyer.