A Falls Township police officer involved in an on-duty crash over weekend remained in the hospital with serious injuries as of Tuesday afternoon.
The police department has not yet released the officer’s name, but law enforcement sources said the injured lawman is Officer Jeff Rhodunda, whose brother is also an officer on the force.
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Rhodunda was injured around 9:40 p.m. Saturday when his police SUV left the Route 1 ramp to I-295 east in Middletown Township as he pursued a motorcycle. The SUV left the ramp, struck a tree, and flipped, causing a small fire that was extinguished by an officer who was responding, authorities said.
Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company Chief Frank Farry said it took firefighters just over 30 minutes to free the trapped officer. He was then rushed to St. Mary Medical Center.
“At the time of the collision, the officer was in pursuit of a motorcycle that was being operated by a male subject. The officers were attempting to stop the motorcycle after it was observed being operated in a reckless manner near a residential area in Falls Township,” police said in a statement Tuesday.
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The motorcycle made off after the officer was involved in the single-vehicle wreck, police said.
The motorcycle was described as a sports bike that was royal blue, police said.
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Anyone with information on the crash and motorcycle being chased has been asked to contact Detective Sgt. Ray Fanelli at 215-949-9100 ext. 439 or R.Fanelli@fallstwp.com.
The Police Association of Falls Township (PAFT) has offered a $1,500 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the operator of the motorcycle. State Rep. John Galloway, a Falls Township resident, has added $1,000 to the reward and the Police Benevolent Association of Lower Makefield donated $750, causing the total reward to increase to $3,250.
Galloway said he knows the Rhodunda family and their care for the Falls Township community.
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“They are just a great family. I’ve known them for 30 years. Everyone knows Jeff and the Rhodunda family,” Galloway said. “When the idea of a reward came out, I just jumped on it.”
“This person is going to get caught. We’re not going to stop until that happens,” the state lawmaker said.
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