Trucker killed in shooting at I-80 rest stop had a weapon

GREENE TOWNSHIP, PA – State police have released additional information on the pre-dawn Tuesday shooting death of a trucker at a rest stop along Interstate 80 east of Loganton.

While police have yet to identify the trucker, they said he was 27-years-old and from Langhorne, Bucks County. State police Cpl. Tyler Morse told PennLive the truck driver had a weapon and gave no warning before driving his rig into two of their vehicles. At that point police opened fire on the rig and the driver was killed. The officer did not say if the truck driver displayed or used his weapon during the incident.

The initial report to which police had responded said shots had been fired during a robbery attempt at the eastbound rest stop. Police said their investigation is continuing into the reports of the robbery, in which two other truckers were the victims. When police responded, the suspect remained in his truck cab and did not respond to commands to get out.

Without warning, Cpl. Morse said, the truck occupant drove his rig into two police cars, causing minor injuries to two officers nearby, one requiring emergency room treatment. Police then fired multiple shots at the trucker, killing him. Morse told PennLive that an unspecified number of police are on a required administrative leave for participating in a shooting.

He said the incident will be discussed with Clinton County District Attorney Dave Strouse, but there is no indication anyone will be charged. Clinton County Coroner Zach Hanna said an autopsy pathology examination was performed Wednesday morning at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown. Results were not immediately available.