PRINTER'S NO.  3027

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE BILL

 

No.

2158

Session of

2012

  

  

INTRODUCED BY GRELL, BLOOM, DELOZIER, KAUFFMAN AND PERRY, JANUARY 31, 2012

  

  

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, JANUARY 31, 2012  

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

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Designating the bridge carrying State Route 114 over Interstate

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81 in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County, as the

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Corporal Paul Walters Memorial Bridge.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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hereby enacts as follows:

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Section 1.  Corporal Paul Walters Memorial Bridge.

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(a)  Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as

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follows:

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(1)  Paul Walters was honorably discharged from the

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United States Air Force, having served in Vietnam.

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(2)  Paul Walters became a patrolman for the Silver

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Spring Township Police Department on February 25, 1972. He is

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the only officer to lose his life in the line of duty in the

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history of the Silver Spring Township Police Department.

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(3)  Officer Walters was dispatched to the 6600 block of

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the Carlisle Pike in Silver Spring Township on the evening of

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January 19, 1975, due to a report of several teenage boys

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throwing snowballs at tractor trailers.

 


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(4)  Officer Walters and his partner proceeded to the

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scene, and Officer Walters left their patrol car in the area

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where the subjects were reported to have been seen. His

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partner proceeded to a nearby location in order to approach

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the suspects from the opposite direction.

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(5)  Officer Walters apprehended the suspects and placed

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them under arrest. As he escorted them along the Carlisle

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Pike to the location of the parked patrol car under

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conditions of low driver visibility, Officer Walters walked

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along the left lane of northbound traffic and used his

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flashlight to signal approaching vehicles to the right lane

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in order to provide for the safety of the suspects.

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(6)  Officer Walters signaled a large truck to move into

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the right lane. The driver of the truck heeded Officer

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Walters' direction. Unbeknownst to the driver and Officer

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Walters, a vehicle was closely following the truck.

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(7)  Officer Walters was struck by this vehicle. He died

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shortly thereafter.

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(8)  Officer Walters was survived by his parents, three

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children and his sister.

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(9)  Officer Walters was posthumously promoted to the

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rank of corporal by the Board of Supervisors of Silver Spring

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Township.

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(b)  Designation.--The bridge carrying State Route 114 over

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Interstate 81 in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County, is

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designated as the Corporal Paul Walters Memorial Bridge.

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(c)  Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and

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maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to

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traffic in both directions.

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Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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