Trooper injured in helicopter crash previously served as fire marshal in Dunmore

DUNMORE, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — One of the Pennsylvania State Police troopers injured in Wednesday night’s helicopter crash has deep roots in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where he once worked as a state police fire marshal before leaving the post to become a PSP pilot.

Trooper Jason Mills was one of two pilots aboard a Bell 407 helicopter that collided in midair with a Cessna 150 near Carlisle Regional Airport in Cumberland County.

Before taking to the skies for PSP, Mills was a Dunmore-based fire marshal who investigated fires and suspected arsons throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Mills eventually left his fire marshal position in Dunmore to become a pilot with the Pennsylvania State Police Aviation Patrol Unit.

During his time in NEPA, Mills investigated numerous fires, including a March 2019 blaze that destroyed the former Serafina Restaurant on East Drinker Street in Dunmore. Mills served as the state police fire marshal investigating the fire.

In July 2024, Mills investigated another fire on Drinker Street in Dunmore. A woman was rescued through a second-floor window during the blaze. Mills determined the fire started on a kitchen stove and ruled it accidental.

His work as a fire marshal also took him outside Lackawanna County.

In December 2025, Mills investigated a house fire on Lone Oak Drive in Paupack Township, Wayne County. Authorities later alleged the fire was intentionally set using a flammable liquid, and the investigation resulted in aggravated arson and other charges against the homeowner.

After several years investigating fires across Northeastern Pennsylvania, Mills became a trooper pilot with the PSP Aviation Patrol Unit.

Mills and Corporal Pilot Bryce Corman were conducting a routine training exercise Wednesday when their state police helicopter collided with the Cessna near the Carlisle airport.

The pilot of the Cessna was killed.

Mills and Corman survived the crash and were taken to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Both troopers were reported in stable condition following the crash.