'Spectacular': Fallen PA State Trooper Remembered By Friends, Firefighters

TRAPPE, PA — Trappe is a small borough in central Montgomery County that is only home to a few thousand people.

Branden Sisca was one of those people.

Sisca, 29, was a mere 16-year-old kid when he first joined up at the Trappe Fire Company, eager to be educated in the ways of the local fire service and dedicated to learning how he could help his local community.

He rose all the way to fire chief in an incredibly short time, attaining the rank before he was even age 30.

RELATED: Woman Charged In Crash That Killed 2 PA State Police Troopers

But that was only his volunteerism.

By day, he was a Pennsylvania State Police trooper, having just started the job after graduating from the academy this past August.

Then he got married in September.

Then his wife announced they were having a baby.

Then this past Monday, when, while trying to help a stranded pedestrian along Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, Sisca was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver who was speeding by.

A fellow trooper, Martin F. Mack, III, 33, and the pedestrian, Reyes Rivera Oliveras, 28, of Allentown, were also killed in the crash.

Trying To Make Sense Of It All

Those who knew Sisca are trying to make sense of a seemingly senseless situation.

"The whole beginning of a new job, new life, new house, new goals, new position as a fire chief. It's hard to understand how could something like this happen, why would something like this happen. Why would you take somebody who is just getting started at being so tremendous," said John Bolger.

Bolger, the deputy fire chief at Trappe Fire Company No. 1, spoke exclusively with Patch on Tuesday about Sisca, inviting a reporter into the close-knit firehouse where Sisca had only been chief since this past Jan. 1.

Bolger said Sisca always enjoyed keeping the local media abreast of good happenings at the firehouse, and he was especially fond of Patch and its mission of community news delivery.

"It's the tragedy of tragedies," Bolger said of Sisca's untimely death. "It's more than a shock. Anything like that is just tragic and earth shattering. It's just a blow."

Sisca followed his father, Craig Sisca, into the volunteer fire services. Craig Sisca, who continues to volunteer in Trappe, is also a veteran Montgomery County sheriff's deputy by day.

Bolger said Branden Sisca was a "special person," describing him as "spectacular."

"He lived locally, came in at age 16," Bolger said. "From the beginning he was highly interested in learning. Went to training classes as soon as he was able to. Once he was of age, he took every single training class he could possibly get his hands on."

'A Leader Before He Was A Leader'

Bolger, who has been involved with the fire services for the past 39 years, saw something incredibly special in Sisca.

"He was a leader here before he was a leader," Bolger said. "Always a strong personality. Always a leader personality, a good team member."

Bolger said when Sisca became chief, he set out with an ambitious agenda.

"Presidents have their first hundred days agenda," Bolger said. "Branden sort of had his. The things he accomplished in just the two-and-a-half months, just the tone that he set for the firehouse to be a family. He was very big on inclusiveness and very big on us officers and administrative officers being leaders and mentors and guiders for our members and to be patient with our members and make sure we're including all our members. He really believed that everybody has something to offer. He wanted to make sure that we tapped that so that people weren't left in the fringes."

Bolger said it's important to talk about Sisca because so often, when people hear in the media about a public servant who dies in the line of duty, they only see a uniform but not the person behind the badge.

Trooper, Volunteer Firefighter, Loving Family Man

Sisca, Bolger said, was a great cop, but he was more than his state police job. He was a fantastic firefighter, but he was also more than his volunteer station chief position. Sisca was also a loving husband who was excited to soon be a father for the very first time.

Bolger said the fire services and the greater community are all rallying behind Sisca's widow, Brittany, to try and help out in any way they can.

No funeral arrangements have been made as of yet, as the family is still coping with the recent tragedy.

As for the criminal case, a Montgomery County woman has been charged in the deaths of Sisca, Mack and Oliveras.

Jayana Tanae Webb, 21, faces three counts each of third-degree murder, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, and recklessly endangering another person, as well as two counts of second-degree manslaughter of a law enforcement officer, driving under the influence, and various summary traffic violations.

The accident occurred near the Philadelphia sports stadiums on southbound I-95.

Webb hails from Eagleville, which is less than five miles away from Trappe, that small borough where Sisca volunteered, lived, and where he was looking forward to raising his family.

Anyone interested in helping Sisca's family can donate to the Montgomery County Hero Fund. More information can be found here.