Ligonier Township mourns K-9 officer killed in wrong-way crash
As police and firefighters worked to save the life of Ligonier Township police Lt. Eric Eslary early Tuesday morning, the officer's partner, a German shepherd named Blek, stood by him, holding first-responders at bay, trying to protect the officer, just as he was trained to do.
They were partners to the end.
A little more than an hour after the crash, Eslary, 40, of Ligonier Township was pronounced dead at Excela Health Latrobe Hospital of injuries suffered when a van going the wrong way on Route 30 west slammed head-on into his patrol vehicle just before 2 a.m., according to police.
The two men in the Chevrolet Express van — the driver, Clair Fink III, 31, of Ligonier and a passenger, Derek Gifford, 21, of Greensburg — were taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, police said. Fink was in critical condition, and Gifford was in fair condition Tuesday night, according to hospital officials.
What police don't know is how Fink ended up in the westbound lanes of the highway or how far he drove the van before colliding with Eslary's SUV across from Idlewild Park, closing the highway for several hours.
News of Eslary's death spread quickly throughout the rural, tight-knit communities of the Ligonier Valley, where he and Blek — partners for six years — were fixtures and where some offices kept bowls of dog treats at the ready for their visits.
Just hours after the officer's death, customers at a Sheetz convenience store not far from the crash site cried as they learned about Eslary's passing. Tributes poured in on social media, and flags were lowered to half-staff throughout the area.
Officers mourn
At a news conference Tuesday morning, grief-stricken fellow officers spoke with fondness about the fun-loving, family-oriented man who married his wife, Mary Beth, in 2012, joining his three children and her three to form what some referred to as their own version of The Brady Bunch.
They talked about Eslary's work as a volunteer firefighter with the Wilpen department and his days as an assistant youth softball coach. They talked of his love for his children and the time he spent hunting and fishing with them.
They also talked about how his wife, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher, was taken by other officers to the crash scene to calm Blek so first-responders could tend to her husband, a 17-year-veteran of the force.
“K-9s are trained to protect their partner,” said Ligonier Township police Chief Michael Matrunics. “Obviously, it was a very, very difficult experience for everyone involved.”
“It's a loss for the entire community,” said Matrunics, who was not only Eslary's boss but his longtime friend. “He was dedicated to public safety and was a lifelong resident of Ligonier Township.
“He took so much pride in developing the K-9 program here, and you better believe that Blek was the most beloved canine in the valley,” he added.
Dozens of officers and K-9 units formed a procession of vehicles Tuesday afternoon to escort Eslary's body from the Westmoreland County Coroner's Office in Hempfield to Dr. Cyril Wecht and Pathology Associates at Carlow University in Oakland for an autopsy.
Blek, who was outfitted with a protective vest paid for with donations Eslary raised, was under observation at the Allegheny Veterinary Emergency Trauma and Specialty facility in Monroeville.
The investigation
Meanwhile, police were attempting to piece together the events leading up to the violent crash.
Calls to Westmoreland Pools and Spas in Irwin, owner of the van Fink and Gifford were riding in, went unanswered.
While police could not say whether the two men are associated with the pool business, Gifford indicated on his Facebook page that he's employed there.
State police spokesman Trooper Stephen Limani said Eslary was in the passing lane when he was struck by the van and had little, if any time to react to the oncoming van.
“Usually, we receive dispatch reports from other motorists when someone is headed in the wrong direction along that stretch of divided highway, but we received no such advance calls from 911 in this case,” Limani said. “If anyone saw anything, we would appreciate a call to the state police barracks in Greensburg to assist in our investigation.”
Limani said Fink's blood will be tested for alcohol consumption, but results won't be available for at least a week.
Fink was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in August 2006, court records show. At the time, his blood-alcohol content was 0.16 percent, double the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He was placed in the Accelerated Rehabilitative Program for first-time offenders.
A deep devotion
The K-9 unit meant the world to Eslary, township manager Terry Carcella said.
Eslary traveled with Blek, who lived with the officer's family, to train with other units throughout Western Pennsylvania.
But some of his most cherished moments were when he and Blek went into local schools to do safety and anti-drug programs, Ligonier Valley educators recalled.
“He often said it was his favorite part of the day,” assistant elementary school Principal Wayne Waugh said. “The kids were able to talk to (Eslary) and ask him questions regarding Blek, and they became familiar with them both. You could see the enjoyment in (Eslary's) eyes, too.”
Ligonier Borough police Chief John Berger said Eslary was a tough act to follow when officers visited schools, because the children were so excited about seeing Blek.
Ligonier Valley Superintendent Christine Oldham said Eslary was committed to keeping the schools “safe and drug-free.”
Principal Tim Kantor said it was not unusual for the officer to visit the high school when he was “off-duty and on his own time.” He would work the overnight shift and stop at the schools before going home, Kantor said.
Eslary “lived for the community. He lived for his job,” said Tom Wynkoop, owner of Fox's Pizza Den, who helped to raise money to fund the K-9 unit.
“The next week or so are going to be very hard, not just for his family, but the community as a whole,” he said.
Visitation for Eslary will be from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday at J. Paul McCracken Funeral Chapel, 144 E. Main St., Ligonier. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Ligonier. The viewing and service will be open to the public, Cindie McCracken said.
Township officials plan to meet Wednesday with Eslary's family to discuss a memorial service, Carcella said.
Paul Peirce is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-850-2860 or ppeirce@tribweb.com. Staff writer Nicole Chynoweth contributed.
