Delmont police Officer Dylan Keffer and police dog Dirk are recovering after being involved in a crash Sunday evening in Murrysville.
Police Chief T.J. Klobucar said the pair were helping Murrysville officers with an unrelated crash on Route 22 when Keffer was dispatched elsewhere in Murrysville. As Keffer turned on the emergency lights of his patrol unit and began to head to the other incident, he was hit from behind by another vehicle, Klobucar said.
Both Keffer and Dirk were taken for medical evaluations and released.
“We are looking forward to their return to service, and we are grateful their injuries were not more serious,” Klobucar said in a statement released by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office.
State police were investigating the crash involving the Delmont police vehicle.
Dirk, a Belgian Malinois, joined the Delmont police force in 2024 as the department revived its police dog program after 25 years of dormancy. The dog was funded through grants from the state and district attorney’s office.
The canine is trained in narcotics detection, search-and-rescue and tracking.