CLINTON COUNTY, Pa. — A robbery suspect who tried to ram his tractor-trailer into state troopers has died at a rest stop in Clinton County.
Troopers were called to the rest stop on Interstate 80 between the Jersey Shore exit (192) and the Mile Run exit (199) around 4:30 a.m. for reports of a robbery.
They found the suspect barricaded in his tractor-trailer at the Clinton County area rest stop. State police surrounded the vehicle with their weapons drawn. Troopers tried to give the suspect orders to come out of the vehicle. The suspect did not comply, and instead, troopers say he drove his tractor-trailer straight at three police vehicles and members of the state police. Troopers fired at the driver. They report that he died from his injuries.
Newswatch 16 spoke with two truck drivers who were here when it happened.
"When I come out of the restroom, I saw a lot of police flashers and police cars over here, so I just went back to my truck," said Patrick Johns.
"There was like a lot of crashing sounds, and I could hear like tires screeching a little bit, and I looked out my window because I was asleep, and I saw the cops shooting at the truck driver," Jewl Tucker said.
One driver said he witnessed the whole thing and told Newswatch 16 that he unknowingly walked up to the driver of the tractor-trailer during the standoff with state police. That is when he saw four troopers with assault rifles pointed at the vehicle.
Several troopers were treated for minor injuries.
The driver has not been identified.