A Central Berks Regional police officer was killed Friday night in a crash while responding to a call for service in Earl Township. The officer was identified early Saturday morning as Kristen Yeager.
The crash happened around 8 p.m. near Route 73 and Manatawny Road, and video from the scene showed the police vehicle in a wooded area. Crews removed the vehicle just before midnight.
The department described Yeager as serving the community with courage, compassion and unwavering dedication, saying she answered the call to protect and serve each day and placed the safety of others above her own. It also said her commitment to her badge, her fellow officers and the citizens she served would never be forgotten.
Authorities have not released details about what caused the crash. The emergency response was heavy after Chopper 6 was overhead, and officials have asked people to keep Yeager's family, friends and the broader law enforcement family in their thoughts and prayers during what they called an incredibly difficult time.
The loss leaves Central Berks Regional Police without one of its serving officers and sends the investigation back to the unanswered question at the center of the crash: what happened on that stretch of road Friday night.
