A firefighter from West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department was injured in a motorcycle crash in Clay Township on Tuesday night, Sept. 19, after leaving a training on vehicle crashes, according to the department.

The firefighter suffered critical injuries and was taken via helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to officials.

According to Justin O’Hara, chief of West Sunbury’s department, their firefighters undergo training on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. That night, they were going over protocols for crashes.

“We were actually training on vehicle accidents, specifically extraction,” he said.

The training wrapped up around 10 p.m., according to O’Hara.

“He had just left,” he said of the firefighter. “As soon as the call came in, I knew it was him.”

The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 138 and Davis Road and involved the firefighter’s motorcycle and an SUV.

West Sunbury’s department was dispatched to the call at 10:14 p.m., according to O’Hara, along with Unionville Volunteer Fire Company and Butler Ambulance Service.

West Sunbury’s engine arrived on scene about 6 minutes later, and remained there until 3:04 a.m.

A medical helicopter was requested for the firefighter, who was bleeding from the head, according to dispatchers. Officials said the helicopter landed at the Clay Township Community Park behind the township building on Euclid School Road.

No other injuries were reported on scene, according to officials.

O’Hara said Route 138 was shut down for state police to investigate the crash, and traffic was diverted onto Davis Road.

In a Facebook post, the department asked for prayers for the firefighter, and said he is being treated for “serious injuries.”

“It’s tough seeing some stuff like that when it’s someone we don’t know,” O’Hara said. “When it’s someone we know, it makes it that much more difficult.”

He added that there are talks of raising funds for the firefighter’s medical expenses.