Falls Officer, Four Others Injured in Crash During Traffic Stop

A Falls Township K-9 police officer has been treated and released from an area hospital today after suffering non-life threatening injuries suffered in an accident late Sunday night.

K-9 officer Tom Lundquist, an eight-year veteran, was at the driver’s side door of the vehicle he stopped for speeding on Route 1 near the Route 13 exchange when police say a Toyota Camry driven by Richard Morales slammed into the unmarked police car.

The cars were pushed approximately 20-feet and spun, throwing Lundquist to the ground. Morales is suspected of driving while impaired. Lundquist was taken to Aria Health’s Bucks campus. He will return to duty upon release by doctors.

“He was treated and released with injuries to right hand and right ankle,” Falls Township Lieutenant Todd Pletnick said.

He added: “No broken bones.”

Morales, of 200 block of Mott St. in Trenton, New Jersey, remains in serious condition at Capital Health’s Helen Fuld Hospital in Trenton.

“We suspect alcohol is involved, but we are waiting for lab results before any charges come down,” Pletnick said.

Initial publish reports had four passengers in the stopped vehicle, but according to the police report, three were in the front car. They were treated and released with minor injuries.

Fortunately, Lundquist’s K-9 was not in the vehicle. The officer’s regular vehicle was not operational so he was not able to bring his partner with him on duty Sunday night.