Suspected drunk driver hits officer, 4 others during traffic stop in Falls Twp. crash

MORRISVILLE, Pa. (WPVI) -- A police officer was among several people injured in a chain reaction crash in Falls Twp., Bucks County. Police believe the driver in the striking vehicle was intoxicated.

It happened around 10:45 p.m. Sunday in the northbound lanes of Route 1 near Route 13.

The crash left a mangled mess of the vehicles involved.

Minutes before Falls Township Police Officer Tom Lundquist, a nine year veteran, pulled over a car with four people inside that was going 90 mph.

Falls Township Police Lt. Henry Ward explains what happened next, telling us, "As he approached the vehicle to talk to the driver of that vehicle, a third vehicle being operating on northbound Route 1 struck the back of his patrol car, which then struck the back of the car that he had pulled over, and pushed all three cars and the officer about 20 feet down the road."

Today all three vehicles are in the impound lot, including the police cruiser, the Dodge Charger initially pulled over for speeding, and the car that police say started the chain reaction crash.

The driver's head went through the windshield of that third vehicle.

The driver was taken to the hospital with serious head trauma, and police suspect that driver was drunk.

Police identified him as 29-year-old Richard Morales of Trenton.

Six people in total were taken to the hospital.

Action News spoke to Officer Lundquist by phone today. He says he feels lucky he escaped with just a sprained wrist.

He also says he feels lucky he wasn't riding with his normal partner, Trigger.

Lt. Ward tells us, "Ironically, at the beginning of his tour tonight our officer has a canine partner, but his vehicle broke down. So he had to kennel his dog and take this substitute vehicle. He did not bring his dog with him. When you see the damage to the back of the car we're confident that if his dog was with him tonight he'd be dead."

The four people in the car pulled over for speeding had minor injuries.

No charges have been filed against that driver or Morales, who remains in the hospital in serious condition. Police are awaiting his toxicology tests.