Officer struck while investigating crash in Cheltenham Twp.

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Thursday, December 11, 2014
Officer struck at scene of crash in Cheltenham Twp.
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CHELTENHAM TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- A Cheltenham Township police officer is hospitalized after being struck by a car while investigating an earlier crash.

It happened Thursday morning on Washington Lane, near Township Line Road, in Wyncote.

Officers had initially been called to the overpass on Washington Lane where a crash had occurred. The roads had been icy, and around 6:21 a.m. one of the officers, identified as Officer Phil Degliomini, started to put out road flares to slow down other drivers.

"The officer realized people were going a little too fast," said Cheltenham Township Police Chief John Norris. "It was icy, he went out to put flares out and when he went to put the flares out a car lost control and ran the officer over - front end into the officer."

The northbound vehicle spun out of control and hit Degliomini.

He was knocked unconscious and rushed to Abington Memorial Hospital where he is listed in stable condition with internal injuries.

The good news is, police say he has regained consciousness and is talking.

Chief Norris explains, "[Degliomini] said he saw the car coming but couldn't get out of his way. And the other good thing is he had a flare in his hands. So, when he got hit the good part is the flare flew away - it didn't fall on his clothes, which could have been a disaster."

The 50-year-old officer is a seven year veteran of the Cheltenham Police Department, after serving 13 years in the Philadelphia Police Department.

The striking vehicle stopped at the scene of the crash. Accident investigators gathered evidence at the scene before the car was towed for evidence.

This accident remains under investigation, and police say it's too early to know if any charges will be filed.