CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. --
The family of a police officer who fell more than 20 feet from a highway overpass while chasing a suspect on foot on Feb. 14 has released an update about his condition.
Police said Cranberry Township Cpl. Dan Hahn was one of several officers chasing Thomas Booth, 22, after the suspect sped away from an officer in Sewickley Heights. The chase, mostly along Interstate 79, reached speeds exceeding 100 mph, police said.
Police said they spotted Booth, of Volant, speeding, which prompted the chase.
Police said after Booth's tires were flattened with spike strips, he ran from the vehicle and jumped off a 22-foot-high overpass to Tollgate Road below in Jackson Township.
Hahn, a 21-year veteran of the force, followed and police believe neither man realized they were on an overpass when they went over the jersey barriers along the road.
Both men were flown to Pittsburgh hospitals. Hahn underwent surgery on his back and neck. Booth was pronounced dead at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.
Statement from Hahn’s family:
“Dan has so many people praying for his recovery and we wish that you would continue to do so. He has a long road ahead of him. For obvious reasons, we have chosen to protect him from media attention as much as we could.
Dan has been through numerous surgeries since February 14th. He is still in the trauma unit at Allegheny General Hospital and is heavily sedated. We anxiously await the day when he can acknowledge that he knows we are there.”
Hahn is still in the Allegheny General Hospital trauma unit and is heavily sedated.
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