Erie police officer, police dog escape serious injury in May 31 crash on city's east side
An Erie Bureau of Police officer and his K-9 partner escaped serious injury but their vehicle was heavily damaged when police said an unlicensed driver crashed into them on Erie's east side on May 31.
According to Police Chief Dan Spizarny, the officer and his canine partner were traveling south on Parade Street on May 31 when another vehicle struck them. The other vehicle, which police said was driven by a 24-year-old woman, was making a left turn when she crashed into the Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicle at about 9:50 p.m. May 31, Deputy Chief William Marucci said.
The impact caused all of the police vehicle's airbags to deploy, police reported. The officer and the dog were shaken up but not seriously injured, according to Spizarny and Marucci.
The driver of the other vehicle was found to be driving without a license and was taken for chemical testing, Spizarny and Marucci said.
Erie police on June 2 were still awaiting word on whether the Chevolet Tahoe was totaled in the crash, Marucci said.
No charges had been filed in the crash as of June 2.
The K-9 officer, his dog and the Chevrolet Tahoe have been working patrol shifts in Erie for about a month. Erie police obtained the dog and two other Belgian Malinois police dogs, along with patrol vehicles and other associated equipment, through state grant funding. The dogs and their handlers underwent training in Ohio before hitting the streets in Erie in early May, Marucci said.
More: Erie police have three new K-9 officers. When they'll be on patrol
Each of the dogs is trained in patrol duties, and two of the dogs are also trained for drug detection and one is additionally trained for explosives and gun detection, police reported.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie police officer, police dog escape serious injury in crash
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