Man who was hiding from cops found crushed under bulldozer

By PoliceOne Staff

BERKS COUNTY, Pa. — A man who was hiding from police was found crushed under a bulldozer.

On Monday, Bernville Borough police were called after an employee with the Pennsylvania Game Commission was operating a bulldozer to clear dense brush and saw “a car parked well off the road in a field,” PennLive reported.

Police said when officers responded, two male suspects came out of the “very thick underbrush” and fled on foot. One of the suspects was eventually apprehended by police, while a state police helicopter was used to track the other man.

The man was eventually spotted running through thick underbrush, so a Game Commission worker used the bulldozer to open a trail while a trooper rode beside him, according to WHTM-TV. State police said the suspect, identified as 51-year-old Gregory A. Longenecker on Tuesday, was eventually found under the rear of the bulldozer deceased.

“As they’re blazing a trail through the brush, the trooper tells the operator to stop. They look behind the bulldozer and they saw the male that they were looking for, was laying on the ground behind the bulldozer as they had already gone over that area,” Trooper David Beohm said.

Troopers said they also found “about a dozen marijuana plants” growing in the dense brush. The suspect who was taken to custody, 54-year-old David Light, admitted to police he was in the area to prune the leaves of marijuana plants, according to WFMZ.

Police said Light was charged with drug offenses and trespassing. He was freed on $25,000 unsecured bail.

Longenecker’s death has been labeled as accidental, Lehigh Valley Live reported. An autopsy was being conducted Tuesday to determine how he died. Officials say it’s possible the man died from having a heart attack while fleeing police due to his age.