May 19,2002

May 20, 2002    May 21, 2002    May 23, 2002    May 18, 2008

Officer dies in crash

By Edward Levenson
Staff Writer, The Intelligencer

Joseph Hanusey, 30, a five-year member of the Plumstead police force, was responding to a call to back up another officer.

PLUMSTEAD - Township Police Officer Joseph Hanusey was among law enforcement officers who attended the annual Bucks County police memorial service Thursday evening in Doylestown.

Less than 32 hours later, Hanusey was killed when his patrol car ran off rain-slicked Route 611 in Plumstead and slammed into a tree. The 30-year-old, who had been on the force for five years, died early Saturday, the last day of National Police Week.

The Bucks County Police Memorial Service Committee now is preparing a ceremony to honor and remember Hanusey, the first Plumstead police officer to die in the line of duty. He became the first officer to be killed in the county since 1993 and the ninth in the last 75 years.

Stunned by the loss, Plumstead police gathered Saturday in the station on Stump Road. The department, which has about 15 officers, declined comment beyond a prepared statement. The flag outside the building flew at half-staff.

Other area police forces, some of which sent officers to patrol Plumstead on Saturday, shared the grief. Officers wore black bands across their badges.

"He was a good cop, not just a good guy," said Doylestown Borough Lt. Michael Cummings, who worked with Hanusey on the Central Bucks Special Response Team, a tactical unit composed of officers from different departments. "For this to happen during National Police Week makes it even worse."

Hanusey was southbound on Route 611 at about 1:50 a.m. Saturday to back up another township police officer on Route 611 at Silo Hill Road, according to state police at Dublin, who investigated the accident because it involved a municipal police officer.

Neither state police nor Plumstead police would provide details, but sources said the first officer had stopped a suspected drunken driver. When radio contact was lost or interrupted, Hanusey headed to provide assistance.

His cruiser crossed into the northbound lane for an unknown reason and ran off the roadway about 200 feet south of Curley Hill Road, a mile north of Silo Hill Road, state police said.

The vehicle struck several trees, spun around and slid about 50 feet, hitting a tree with its left side. It then spun again and came to rest against a tree.

Buckingham, Doylestown borough and township, Hilltown, New Britain Township and Solebury police departments responded, along with Plumsteadville Volunteer Fire Co. and Point Pleasant-Plumsteadville Ambulance.

Bucks County Deputy Coroner Keith Preston pronounced Hanusey dead at the scene at 1:55 a.m., police said. The state police collision analysis and reconstruction unit is investigating the accident.

Some family members gathered Saturday at the home of Hanusey's parents in Doylestown Township, but declined comment.

Randy Davis, a neighbor, was stunned to hear the news. "It's too young," he said sadly.

Davis, who has lived in the neighborhood for 13 years, said he did not know the Hanusey family well, but recalled often seeing the brothers jogging down the street when they were teenagers.

Before becoming a police officer, Hanusey worked for three years as a code enforcement officer for Plumstead.

"It just hits so close to home," said Supervisor Chairman Frank Froio. "Joe was a friend of all of us."

Hanusey was an original member of the Central Bucks Special Response Team, which was formed about five years ago to handle incidents involving hostages, violent threats, riots and other potentially dangerous situations.

"We worked together. He was an asset to the team," said Cummings, who heads the team's crisis negotiation unit. Hanusey, who left the team a month or so ago, was one of the tactical officers who would act if negotiations couldn't resolve the crisis.

"He had a very dry sense of humor. He could say something and break everybody up," Cummings said.

Doylestown Township Police Chief Stephen White said he had just seen Hanusey and his wife at the police memorial service Thursday at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Doylestown. The Hanuseys belong to the church, White said.

"He was a young, energetic, intelligent, enthusiastic guy. This is just a tragedy," White said.

At the Doylestown Borough police station, officers said they felt the loss as if Hanusey had been a member of their department. They noted there is a close bond among the relatively small police forces in Central Bucks, which often back up each other.

"He was a hell of a nice guy. He was there when we needed him," said Officer Paul Kreuter.

"It affects me personally. I knew him so well," said Officer Wayne Jones. "It just reminds everyone how quickly your life can end in this job."

Added Officer Kevin Lenahan, "One word sums it up: 'brother.' "

Edward Levenson can be contacted via e-mail at elevenson@phillyburbs.com

May 20,2002

May 19, 2002      May 21, 2002     May 23, 2002

Officer's death under investigation

By Freda R. Savana
Staff Writer, The Intelligencer

Services for Joseph E. Hanusey III, a five-year veteran of the Plumstead force, will take place Wednesday.

PLUMSTEAD - Funeral services for fallen Plumstead police Officer Joseph E. Hanusey III, killed in a car accident while on duty, will be held Wednesday in Plumsteadville.

Relatives and friends can pay their respects from 9 a.m. until the noon service begins at the Shelly Funeral Home on Easton Road at Kellers Church Road. A police memorial service will follow and interment will be in the Plumstead Cemetery at 5 p.m.

The 30-year-old officer, the first ever killed in the line of duty in the township, died in an early-morning, one-vehicle crash Saturday while en route to assist another officer. He served with the Plumstead police force for five years.

Hanusey was born in Doylestown, where he graduated from Central Bucks East High School in 1990. He earned his bachelor's degree from Chadwick University and was a graduate of the Montgomery County Police Academy. He also attended Spring Garden College.

An active member of the community, Hanusey worked with the area's Youth Aid Panel, the Plumstead Township Benevolent Association and the Bucks County Special Response Team. He also served as coordinator for the Plumstead Township Police Cadets, was a training officer for new police officers, and was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police.

"Joe touched so many lives in a truly remarkable way. He generously shared his time and numerous talents without needing to be asked, because he genuinely enjoyed being involved with people and helping his colleagues and friends," said a statement from the township's police department.

The highly respected officer enjoyed hunting, woodworking and home improvement. Hanusey was a member of the Peck's Pond Sportsman's Association.

In addition to his wife, Brandy A. Riess Hanusey, he is survived by his parents, Joseph E. and Antoinette Harasym Hanusey of Doylestown; his brothers, Eric L. Hanusey of Silverdale and Bryan A. Hanusey of Doylestown; his sister, Tara Todd Royles of Pensacola, Fla.; and his mother and father-in-law, Kenneth P. and Guenevere Riess of Pineville.

Memorial contributions may be sent to either the Plumstead Township Benevolent Association, P.O. Box 41, Plumsteadville, or the Plumstead Township Memorial Fund at P.O. Box 283, Plumsteadville, PA 18949, in lieu of flowers.

State police are investigating the accident, which occurred about 2 a.m. Saturday on Route 611, just south of Curly Hill Road. Hanusey was about one mile from his destination on Route 611 at Silo Hill Road when his cruiser crossed into the northbound lane and ran off the road, striking several trees.

Freda Savana can be contacted via e-mail at fsavana@phillyburbs.com

May 21,2002

May 19, 2002      May 20, 2002     May 23, 2002

Motorist describes scene of fatal police crash

By Mark E. Jolly
Staff Writer, The Intelligencer

Funeral services for Officer Joseph E. Hanusey III will be held Wednesday in Plumstead.

An unidentified man pauses at the site on Route 611 where Plumstead police Officer Joseph E. Hanusey III died after his cruiser crashed early Saturday morning. (Photo: Ophelia Lenz)

PLUMSTEAD - Bradley Wind was on his way home from a party early Saturday morning, driving south on Route 611 through heavy rain, when he saw a police car crumpled, hood-first into a tree, the back end sticking into the highway's northbound lanes.

"As I was passing the scene, the first thing I thought was, 'Keep going,' " he said. "It was a scary scene. All I saw was parts littered on the other side of the road, and I saw the car, which was like an accordion."

Wind didn't keep going, though. He stopped, backed up his car, and parked it in the center of the road, hoping to slow down traffic, afraid there would be another accident. The interior lights of the police car were on, but Wind couldn't see in because of the damage. He walked around the car to see if there was anyone inside who needed help. He saw Plumstead Officer Joseph E. Hanusey III but knew nothing could be done.

Cpl. Kathy-Jo Winterbottom, the state police officer investigating Hanusey's fatal crash, said on Monday that little has been determined so far about the cause but she hopes the investigation can be completed quickly. Hanusey was responding to assist another officer about 1:30 a.m. Saturday when he crashed.

After Wind had stopped, several other motorists began to gather as well. One woman called police on her cell phone; a nurse checked Hanusey for a pulse but didn't find one. Wind said when the first officer arrived, he walked around to the driver's side of the wrecked car "and immediately started crying."

"He must have known him," Wind said. "He just went to the other side of the road and kneeled against the railing and cried. He was beside himself."

Wind couldn't estimate the number of police who responded, saying the scene just became a mass of flashing lights and people, but the officer who ended up briefly interviewing motorists stuck in his mind.

"He was having a real hard time writing, taking our information, because he was so upset," Wind said.

The Plumstead Township Police Department is a small one, about a dozen men, and described by many as a family. Area police have been taking shifts for Plumstead, with officers from Tinicum, Bedminster and Warminster patrolling the township to allow Plumstead officers time to grieve.

"You can really see the impact it has had on these young officers up there," said Northampton Police Chief Barry Pilla, who is handling media relations for Hanusey's memorial service. "This has had a devastating effect on these guys. You can see it in their faces."

Pilla is one of about 30 police chiefs and commanding officers from around the county who have helped plan Hanusey's memorial service, to be held Wednesday. The service is expected to draw hundreds, or even thousands, of police and other emergency personnel, family, friends and other mourners.

About 100 officers and fire police and emergency personnel will help run the service, coordinating traffic control, parking and shuttle services. The police memorial committee, which is organizing the day, has had to consider honor guards, procession arrangements, food, water and first aid.

"When this happens to your police department, you are unable to do it yourself. It's devastating," said Perkasie Police Chief Tim Dickinson, the chairman of the memorial committee. "It's very complicated. It's a major event, and we have no idea what the response will be."

Dickinson didn't want the preparations for Hanusey's memorial service to overshadow the man himself, however. He taught the 30-year-old officer in police academy and had nothing but praise for both the officer and the man.

"I had known him to be an excellent police officer," Dickinson said. "Certainly he was a very friendly person. You wouldn't find a better person."

Mark E. Jolly can be contacted via e-mail at mjolly@phillyburbs.com

May 23,2002

May 19, 2002      May 20, 2002      May 21, 2002

Hundreds honor officer

By Mark E. Jolly
Staff Writer, The Intelligencer

Officer Joseph Hanusey was laid to rest in the town he patrolled.

Plumstead Township Police Chief Duane Hasenauer watches as the casket of Officer Joseph Hanusey is loaded onto a horse-drawn carriage outside the funeral home. (Photo: Ophelia Lenz)

About 600 police officers from across the region came to honor Hanusey. (Photo: Ophelia Lenz)

Three unidentified mourners are overcome with grief as the horse-drawn carriage carrying the casket passes. (Photo: Ophelia Lenz)

Plumstead Township Police Chief Duane Hasenauer says a final goodbye to Officer Joseph Hanusey at the end of the funeral services. (Photo: Ophelia Lenz)

Brandy A. Riess Hanusey, carrying the flag that covered her husband's casket. is lead away after funeral services in Plumstead. (Photo: Ophelia Lenz)

PLUMSTEAD - A police radio broke the silence in the Plumsteadville Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon.

"Bucks County to 5708."

The dispatcher repeated the call twice more but got no answer. After the third call, Plumstead Police Chief Duane Hasenauer got on the radio: "57C to Bucks. Clear the air."

The dispatcher responded by calling for attention for a special announcement.

"It is with deep regret that the officers and members of the Plumstead Township Police Department announce the death of Joe Hanusey, Badge 108, who was killed in the line of duty May 18."

Hasenauer's voice came on again, sounding strained, speaking carefully and exactly. Earlier, leading the horse-drawn glass carriage bearing his officer's casket, Hasenauer had looked strained as well, seeming to hold himself together by walking with flawless posture, eyes ahead.

"Place Unit 5708 and Badge 108 out of service," he told the dispatcher.

"Bucks County to all cars and stations ... Unit 5708 and Badge 108 are on a final call.... They shall not respond again."

Hanusey was killed in a car accident on Route 611 in Plumstead early Saturday morning while responding to assist another officer. State police are still investigating the accident.

About 600 police officers from departments from New York City to Lancaster, together with fire and rescue personnel and hundreds of family and friends, attended Hanusey's funeral Wednesday. Throughout the morning, a long line of mourners stretched from the back doors of Shelly's Funeral Home, at Route 611 and Kellers Church Road, around the porch and into the parking lot.

Other than Plumstead officers, police remained outside, signing two condolence books, one for Hanusey's family and one for the police department. Most of the morning, as the family received mourners in the funeral home, police either waited in line for the books or talked with colleagues from their own and other departments.

The Bristol Township police color guard went through its drills every half hour or so. And all morning, more and more police arrived. One department arrived about 11 cars strong, driving north up 611 with their lights on, the lead car hitting the siren. The field behind the funeral home was covered with vehicles.

After services had been held inside the funeral home for close friends and family, the hundreds of police who had amassed on the lawn in front of the building stood at attention and saluted. Hanusey's flag-draped coffin was borne out of the building on the shoulders of six men, five of whom were Plumstead officers, as mourners lining the side of the parking lot opposite the police cried and held each other in groups of two, three or more.

The pallbearers loaded the casket into the glass carriage and walked behind as it was pulled to Plumstead Cemetery by two black horses. Family and friends fell in behind the Plumstead police, and then a long, unbroken line of uniforms of all shades of blue followed, led by the Philadelphia drum and bagpipe brigade. The procession passed under an American flag hung between two fire trucks' extended ladders.

At the cemetery, family, friends and Plumstead officers stood at the graveside. Some other officers stood farther off in the cemetery, but most formed a thick troop filling Kellers Church Road, facing the cemetery. The flag was lifted off Hanusey's coffin, now suspended above the grave, and a 21-gun salute was fired.

From the brush on the west side of the cemetery, two buglers played taps, followed by the bagpipers playing "Amazing Grace." When they had finished, Hasenauer and dispatch conducted the ritual last call for 5708, Hanusey's unit number.

Hanusey's widow, Brandy A. Riess Hanusey, led the mourners from the cemetery, holding the folded American flag close to her.

After the funeral, Hasenauer talked a bit about Hanusey, describing a young man perhaps most characterized by his love for people. And people, whether fellow officers or friends or just about anyone else, loved him.

"Anyone who ever met the guy liked him," Hasenauer said. "He was one of these people, if you got to know him, he touched you and he changed your life. Just the way he was with people - I don't know how else to put it."

Hasenauer said any time Hanusey was off duty, there was sure to be a group of people hanging out at his house.

"He was a great friend, a great husband, just a fabulous guy," Hasenauer said.

Hasenauer said the five-year veteran of the Plumstead force loved all aspects of police work and protecting his community but was especially passionate about working with youth. Hanusey was learning to teach Drug Abuse Resistance Education and worked on the Youth Aid Panel, a collaboration among Plumstead, Solebury and Warwick to help first-time youth offenders through community service or counseling.

"He loved working with youth," Hasenauer said. "He just loved being with people and with his friends. I can't stress enough what kind of person he was."

Mark E. Jolly can be contacted via e-mail at mjolly@phillyburbs.com

May 19, 2002      May 20, 2002      May 21, 2002     May 23, 2002