A state police officer injured on Interstate 81 on Friday remained in critical condition Saturday in Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, according to a nursing supervisor.

Sgt. Robert E. Bemis, 47, a 22-year veteran of the state police and assigned to the Bureau of Training and Education at the state police academy in Hershey, sustained "rather severe injuries," police said Friday. Police said Victor K. Nolan, 36, of Arjay, Kentucky, was driving a 1993 Cadillac towing a trailer hauling a Volvo Cross Country when a rear tire blew, causing the rim to catch fire, spreading to the trunk and fuel tank area.

Bemis, who was driving south in an unmarked Ford Crown Victoria cruiser, saw the vehicle fire and pulled over to assist, pulling behind the trailer.

As Bemis and Nolan were standing outside of their vehicles, Jamie Edmonds, 50, of Norfolk, Virginia, was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer south, applied her brakes to avoid hitting a truck in front of her and lost control.

The SUV began to spin clockwise, went off onto the north berm of the road and struck a guide rail. After hitting the guide rail, the SUV continued south and struck the Bemis vehicle, pushing it into Bemis and Nolan.

Witnesses said the impact threw Bemis into the air, with him hitting the ground near the passenger's side of his cruiser.

The crash occurred at 2:52 p.m. near mile marker 121 in Butler Township, Schuylkill County, and brought southbound traffic to a halt for more than five hours while the incident was investigated.

The nursing supervisor with Geisinger said Nolan was in fair condition Saturday.

Edmonds and her passengers, Keikilani Bennett, 24, and a 3-year-old boy, both of Norfolk, were taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street by ambulance for precautionary reasons, police said. A nursing supervisor at Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street said Saturday that Edmonds and Bennett were released. Edmonds and Bennett were wearing seat belts, and the child was in a car seat, police said.

State police public information officer Trooper David C. Beohm, Reading, said Saturday no charges have been filed. Beohm said he did not know exactly what charges would be filed, but at a "bare minimum," he said a summary offense would be likely.

Citizen's Voice