Moon Police Officer Honored for Assisting Grieving Alabama Father

If you ask Capt. Greg Seamon, he'll tell you that Sgt. Alan Morrow is a family guy: a longtime police officer and a father who has "raised a couple nice young men."

Morrow, who has served Moon residents since 1981 as a member of the township's police department, came to the aid of a truck driver from Alabama on the night of Dec. 14.

On that chilly evening, Seamon said, Craig Hare, a big-rig driver from Springvale, AL, received a call on his cell phone from his wife. Their 16-year-old son, Casey, was missing.

Soon after that phone call, Hare's wife went out to search for her son. She found him at the scene of a one-car wreck at 9:30 p.m. on State Route 174 in Alabama, according to The Birmingham News.

The newspaper reported that Casey's 1996 Nissan Altima left the road, struck a tree and caught fire. The high school sophomore was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hare was on the road when his wife called to tell him of his son's death. Distraught, he pulled over in a parking lot after spotting a row of police cars, Seamon said. It was the Moon Police station on Beaver Grade Road.

"Sgt. Morrow calmed him down," said Seamon. "He got him situated. Got him some coffee and helped print him out airline tickets."

Morrow directed Hare to park his tractor-trailer at the township impound lot and took him to the Pittsburgh International Airport to catch a plane home.

"He showed compassion and dedication: dedication to this man who was going through a very traumatic thing," said Seamon.

Weeks later, Hare returned to Moon to pick up his truck in the impound lot. The temperature was frigid. The big rig wouldn't start.

So John Stephens, a public works employee, went to work, said Seamon. He was off the clock, but he spent about two hours working on the truck. Morrow, meanwhile, took Hare for a bite to eat at a local restaurant.

"Believe it or not, police officers have compassion," said Seamon. "We have families, too."

At this week's township Board of Supervisors meeting, supervisors gave Marrow a commendation for his service.  But Seamon said Morrow was not keen on talking about it.

"Probably not," he said. "He's probably too modest."