An off-duty police officer was killed early Sunday morning in a crash in Mahoning Township.

Carbon County Coroner Robert Miller said Andrew “A.J.” Jones, 25, of Wyoming, Pennsylvania, died on the way to the hospital after his car hit a large tree on Mill Road, just north of the intersection with Mahoning Drive West. He was a part-time police officer for the Summit Hill police department from June 2018 until this past October, when he gained full-time employment with Swoyersville Police Department.

The crash occurred at 2 a.m. as Jones lost control crossing the roadway and entered a lawn, traveling for a distance before colliding with the tree.

It took firefighters from the Mahoning Valley and Diligent Fire company of Summit Hill over an hour to extricate Jones from the wreckage.

He was treated at the scene by members of the Mahoning Valley ambulance and Lehighton paramedics. Jones was taken by ambulance to St. Luke’s Lehighton Campus, with plans of transporting him by helicopter to a trauma center, but he didn’t make it.

According to the Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre, Jones’ body was escorted back to Swoyersville on Sunday morning by a procession of firetrucks and police cars.

Swoyersville Mayor Christopher Concert told the Times Leader Jones was a diligent worker and a proud patrolman.

“He wanted to be a police officer for the right reasons,” Concert said. “There’s a big void left in our department.”

Flags are being flown at half-staff at the Swoyersville municipal building in Jones’ memory.

Jones was also a volunteer firefighter for Summit Hill. The fire company posted Sunday, “Fire Chief Shawn Hoben regrets to announce the untimely passing of firefighter Andrew “AJ” Jones. The officers and members of the Diligence Fire Co. No. 1 express our deepest condolences to AJ’s family, friends and fellow officers.”

Mahoning Township police officer Amy Barclay is investigating the incident.

Reporter Amy Miller contributed to this report.