Car hits state trooper in Armstrong County
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State police are searching for a vehicle that struck a state trooper who was picking up debris on a Route 28 on-ramp in Armstrong County early Thursday.
Sgt. Ken Markilinski, the station commander at the Gibsonia barracks, was on the on-ramp connecting Route 422 to Route 28 southbound in East Franklin when he spotted debris in the roadway and pulled over to retrieve it. He and his patrol car were struck by a dark-colored or black passenger car at around 6:45 a.m., Trooper John Corna said.
Sgt. Markilinksi, 50, was conscious and talking to medics but complained of head, neck and back pain and was taken to Armstrong County Memorial Hospital before being flown to UPMC Presbyterian. The hospital listed him in good condition Thursday afternoon. He was being kept overnight at the hospital for observation, Trooper Corna said.
Trooper Ronald Kesten, a state police spokesman, said the car likely sustained front-end damage on the driver's side. The unmarked state police car also suffered some damage, including having a side mirror knocked off.
Accident reconstruction investigators were working to piece together the scene Thursday. Trooper Kesten said investigators were also reviewing video footage, but state police would not release the source of that footage or if it showed the accident or just the suspect vehicle.
Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call state police in Kittanning at 724-543-2011.
First Published February 3, 2012 12:00 am
