After a pedestrian was struck on Interstate 279 early Tuesday morning, a passing vehicle struck the state police car that responded to the initial call, sending two troopers to the hospital, police said.
State police were initially called out just after midnight to I-279 near the East Street exit at mile marker 3, where a Ford Focus has become disabled in the northbound lanes. The driver had exited their vehicle to try and push it off the road, when a black Dodge Ram 1500 drove by, struck the driver and fled from the scene.
The Ford’s driver was treated at the scene and taken to a nearby hospital.
Troopers arrived on scene to investigate the crash, and a passing Toyota SUV struck a marked state police with its emergency lights activated.
The two troopers inside the vehicle were transported to a hospital. State police spokesman Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said they were being evaluated for minor injuries.
On Saturday, a state trooper was also struck and injured by a passing vehicle along Route 31 in Somerset County while assisting with a disabled vehicle there.
That trooper was treated at an area hospital and released but “does have a way to go before being back to full duty,” according to a release from the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office.
It wasn’t clear if charges would be filed in response to Saturday’s crash.
