Pa. Officer Killed, K-9 Injured in Crash

A Ligonier Township, Pa. police officer was killed early Tuesday morning when a van struck his SUV head-on.

Lt. Eric Eslary was traveling in the department vehicle with his K-9 partner Blek when the crash occurred shortly after 1:40 a.m. on Route 30 in front of Idlewild Park, according to The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Eslary was transported to Excela Health Latrobe hospital by ambulance where he was pronounced dead at 2:46 a.m. K-9 Blek was in surgery at an animal hospital in Monroeville.

Clair Fink III and Derek Gifford, who were in the van at the time of the crash, were taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown with unspecified injuries.

The crash is currently under investigation.

Funeral arrangements are pending.