Pennsylvania: Driver charged after hitting officer, nearly running down firefighter
Authorities allege that a Fountain Hill woman struck a police officer with her car mirror and nearly hit a firefighter, who were responding to a crash in Bethlehem last week. Bethlehem emergency personnel were dispatched to a collision about 5:45 p.m. Jan. 13 on Broadway between Alaska and Jischke streets. A city police officer said he parked his patrol car in the westbound lane behind an ambulance and firetruck, all of which had the emergency lights activated, according to records.
As the officer stepped out of his car, he said he was struck by the passenger side mirror of a vehicle driven by a woman later identified as Jennifer L. Sabater, according to court records. Sabater’s car also struck the driver’s side door of the cruiser, causing it to hit the driver’s side fender. The police cruiser was towed from the scene.
Authorities allege Sabater then nearly struck a uniformed firefighter, who jumped onto a firetruck to avoid being hit. He was able to catch the first half of the vehicle’s license plate, which police used to track the car to Sabater. And the police cruiser’s dash cam recorded her vehicle allegedly speeding away from the collision.
Bethlehem police charged Sabater with a misdemeanor count of accident involving damage and summary counts of careless driving, failure to stop and render aid, failing to notify police of an accident and careless driving in a emergency response area.
District Judge Robert Hawke arraigned the 40-year-old the following night. She was released on $8,000 unsecured bail ahead of a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 29.
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