Pennsylvania: Fire police officer injured at Riverside scene had broken legs, crushed arteries
Cambridge Springs volunteer fire police officer Robert Repa was looking forward to being released from the hospital on Friday. Repa suffered significant injuries to both legs at the scene of the Riverside Inn fire on Tuesday when he was struck by a vehicle as he assisted with traffic control. Despite those injuries and a long road to recovery ahead of him, he was in good spirits Friday and expressed hopes of returning to his position with the fire department after completing rehabilitation treatment.
Fire police officers assist with traffic control and other duties at fires, motor vehicle accidents and other fire department activities. Repa, a resident of the Cambridge Springs area for more than 30 years, has served with the fire department for nearly a quarter-century, according to Chief Jeff Murdock.
Repa’s good spirits were evident as he recalled the accident that injured him as the fire raged early Tuesday. “A guy ran over me,” Repa said with a laugh. “I’m doing OK.”
Repa’s positive attitude came in the face of what he described as two broken legs, crushed arteries and other injuries. “He’s banged up pretty good,” Murdock confirmed. “Everyone who has been to see him says he’s been doing pretty well, all things considered.”
Those considerations include injuries to his ankles so severe that swelling prevented casts from being put on his legs for several days, Murdock said. “It wasn’t pretty, according to the people here,” Repa said, referring to the hospital’s medical staff. “I remember getting hit — it threw me over the guardrail and out into the creek.”
Murdock explained that Repa wound up in a waterway near a culvert at the scene of the fire. He had not yet heard from police on the results of an investigation. A search of judicial system databases showed that no charges had been filed as of Friday afternoon.
Repa expected to be released to a rehabilitation facility on Friday.
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