Handcuffed prisoner escapes in Fairfield Township while en route to Westmoreland County Prison
Police closed off a section of Route 711 in Fairfield Township on Saturday afternoon to search for a handcuffed prisoner who escaped while in transit to the Westmoreland County Prison.
A 911 dispatcher confirmed the prisoner took off from Seward police custody after he claimed he was ill and was permitted to get out of the vehicle to vomit.
Officials said the prisoner had initially been picked up on a warrant, but additional details were unavailable.
Police called out search crews to canvass the area for the fleeing man, who was described has having blond hair and wearing blue pants. A search perimeter was set up bordering Pennsylvania Game Commission land and Route 711.
Police have stopped searching for the man, according to a 911 dispatcher, who did not know why the search was ended.
Anyone who sees the man should call 911, the dispatcher said.
Correction: The original version of this story included the wrong police department.
Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.
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