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Thomas W. Swearingen

Age : 59

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/09/2025

Location : 2500 block of U.S. Route 62

City : Cranberry Township

County : Venango

State : Pennsylvania

Agency : Oil City Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Motorcycle driver killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

n 08/09/2025, at approximately 9:00 p.m., Oil City Police Department officers attempted to stop 59-year-old Thomas W. Swearingen of Masury, Ohio, while he was riding a 2000 Yamaha Road Star 1600 motorcycle. Police reported that the attempted stop was initiated for a traffic violation. The specific traffic violation was not identified in the available reporting. Swearingen continued driving east on U.S. Route 62 while Oil City police pursued him into Cranberry Township.
While the police pursuit was continuing on U.S. Route 62, Swearingen lost control of the motorcycle in the 2500 block of the highway. The motorcycle left the roadway, traveled up an embankment and entered a wooded area, where it struck multiple trees before coming to rest in or near a culvert.
Swearingen suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Pennsylvania State Police reported that he had been wearing a motorcycle helmet but alleged that it was being used improperly.
Pennsylvania State Police investigated the fatal crash because Oil City Police Department officers had been pursuing Swearingen immediately before it occurred. Public reporting identified Oil City Police as the agency that initiated and conducted the pursuit but did not identify the officer or officers involved

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wfmj.com/story/51467884/masury-motorcyclist-killed-in-police-chase-crash
https://explorevenango.com/police-pursuit-turns-fatal-in-venango-county/