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An off-duty Colonie police officer, Jason Tusch, is on administrative leave after hitting a pedestrian with his personal vehicle on Tuesday night (May 27). The incident occurred around 10:12 p.m. at the intersection of Old Loudon Road and Purtell Avenue. The 65-year-old victim, whose name has not been released, was rushed to Albany Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
Officer Tusch remained at the scene and provided emergency medical care to the injured man. He has been with the Colonie Police Department since 2019 and is now on paid administrative leave, a standard procedure following a critical incident.
The Colonie Police Department has requested that the New York State Police conduct the investigation to avoid any perceived conflicts of interest. As of now, no charges or tickets have been issued, and the investigation is expected to take several weeks.
According to the Times Union, Officer Tusch previously worked as a personal trainer and an assistant football coach at Shaker High School.
WNYT reports that the Colonie Police Department has not disclosed the victim's identity at this time.