Lebanon County police chief involved in crash; Pickup slams into home
CHIEF OF POLICE. BAILEY. YEAH. LAURIE, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. THE OFFICER INVOLVED IN THAT IN THE CLEONA BOROUGH POLICE CAR WAS IN FACT THEIR CHIEF, JEFFREY JANESKI, AND THE DRIVER OF THE PICKUP TRUCK THAT WENT INTO THIS HOME BEHIND ME WAS 74 YEAR OLD ROBERT VANAKEN. THEY CLEARED THAT SCENE JUST BEFORE 4 P.M. AND PULLED THAT TRUCK OUT OF THE PORCH. THEY ACTUALLY HAVE RESTORATION CREWS HERE WORKING RIGHT NOW. STATE POLICE SAY ROBERT VANAKEN WAS DRIVING HIS TRUCK DOWN WEST PENN AVENUE IN CLEONA WHEN HE HIT THE BACK OF THE CLEONA BOROUGH POLICE CHIEF JEFFREY CRUISER. IT THEN VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND INTO DALE HAUCK’S FRONT PORCH. JUST HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE HOUSE SHOOK THE WOODEN POLE AS WELL AS THE CEMENT BLOCK BASE IS IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK, WHICH PREVENTED IT FROM GOING INTO THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE. 160 11I JUST GOT REAR ENDED PENN AVENUE AND HILL STREET. CHIEF CALLED THE CRASH IN HIMSELF WHILE HE WAS STILL INSIDE OF HIS VEHICLE. NEIGHBORS RUSHED OUT AS SOON AS THEY HEARD THE CRASH, AND I HEARD A SLAM. AND MY FIRST REACTION WAS LIKE I SAID, OH NO, MY CAR. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR, THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS THAT THE POLICE CRUISER WAS THERE. I RAN OUT TO ATTEND TO HIM, AND THAT’S WHEN I NOTICED THE THE DRIVER’S TRUCK UP ON MY NEIGHBOR’S PORCH. A PICKUP TRUCK INTO A HOUSE. MICHAEL’S CAR WAS PARKED OUT FRONT AND WAS ALSO HIT BY THE CHIEF’S VEHICLE THAT STATE POLICE SAY LAUNCHED 40 TO 50FT FORWARD FROM THE CRASH. BOTH THE CHIEF AND TRUCK DRIVER WERE TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL IN HERSHEY, ACCORDING TO POLICE. DALE SAYS THIS IS THE SECOND CAR TO WRECK INTO HIS PORCH IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. THE HOUSE COULD BE REPAIRED. A BODY CAN’T. THEY ARE REPAIRING THAT HOUSE RIGHT NOW. THEY’RE ACTUALLY PUTTING UP. IT LOOKS LIKE TO BE. MAKESHIFT BEAMS TO HOLD THE PORCH UP. THEY SAID THEY WON’T KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE, OF COURSE, UNTIL THEY LOOK INTO IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. THE NEIGHBOR THAT WE SPOKE WITH SAID THAT HIS CAR HAD MINOR DAMAGE, AND IT WAS STILL DRIVABLE. PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE ARE NOW INVESTIGATING THIS CRASH.
Lebanon County police chief involved in crash; Pickup slams into home
Updated: 6:21 PM EST Nov 19, 2025
The Cleona Borough Police Chief was involved in a crash Wednesday afternoon when a pickup truck collided with his cruiser. The truck then went off the road and crashed into a house.State police say 74-year-old Robert Vanaken was the driver of the truck and the officer in the Cleona Borough Police vehicle was Chief Jeffrey Farneski.Emergency crews responded to the scene at West Penn Street/Route 422 and North Mill Street shortly after noon.A viewer shared video with WGAL, showing the police cruiser with rear-end damage and a red pickup that had crashed into a nearby home. You can watch that in the player above.The chief and the pickup driver were taken to the hospital, according to Pennsylvania State Police.Route 422 was shut down but has since reopened. It’s not yet clear what caused the crash. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.WGAL has a crew at the scene. Stay with us for updates.For live traffic updates, click here.See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.
CLEONA, Pa. —
The Cleona Borough Police Chief was involved in a crash Wednesday afternoon when a pickup truck collided with his cruiser. The truck then went off the road and crashed into a house.
State police say 74-year-old Robert Vanaken was the driver of the truck and the officer in the Cleona Borough Police vehicle was Chief Jeffrey Farneski.
Emergency crews responded to the scene at West Penn Street/Route 422 and North Mill Street shortly after noon.
A viewer shared video with WGAL, showing the police cruiser with rear-end damage and a red pickup that had crashed into a nearby home. You can watch that in the player above.
The chief and the pickup driver were taken to the hospital, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
Route 422 was shut down but has since reopened.
It’s not yet clear what caused the crash. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.
WGAL has a crew at the scene. Stay with us for updates.
For live traffic updates, click here.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.