The troopers and the civilian were hit about 12:40 a.m. on Interstate 95 South, the Pennsylvania State Police said in a Twitter post.
The troopers were trying to get the man who was walking on I-95 into their patrol SUV, state police said, according to NBC Philadelphia. A driver attempted to use the shoulder of the highway to get around the scene and struck all three of them, the news station reported. The impact sent them into the northbound lanes of I-95, police told NBC Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf addressed the deaths in a tweet, saying he and his wife were praying for the victims’ loved ones.
“Frances and I are deeply saddened by the loss of these two troopers and the individual they were assisting,” he said. ” … This tragedy is a reminder that our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect us and our communities.”
It was not clear if the driver, who stayed on the scene, was going to be charged in connection with the crash.
I-95 is shut down in both directions between Broad Street and the Walt Whitman Bridge.
No other information, including the names of the victims, was immediately available.
driving on the shoulder is criminal, and the speed when law enforcement has an issue with lights blaring, usually demands reduction of the speed and caution. The driver stayed on the scene does not justify ignorance and stupidity , and probably out right man-slaughter ! The officers killed could not anticipate someone stupid enough to try to pass on the shoulder, and the speed required to send officers over any medium or across any freeway barriers indicates a pretty high speed. Without specifics, one can not judge the ability for driver, but nothing will ever bring back those killed with stupidity.
Cops prolly should have left the man walking alone…
Idiot is what idiot does, stupid is what stupid does and you are all of these.
Walking on the freeway is illegal. The police were doing their job, which included trying to protect the guy. The idiot that tried to go around by driving on the shoulder was breaking the law (even if there had been no one there) which, unfortunately, there was. The ONLY times you’re allowed on the shoulder is an emergency, a breakdown or you’re being pulled over. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, especially the police that died in the line of duty. BTW, are you for “defund the police”? This is Bob’s wife.