Monday, March 15, 2010

Officer struck by drunken driver



Few things in police work are ever “routine.” Something as normal as a traffic stop can turn into a life-or-death situation in an instant. (This happened last fall in south Kansas City). Once again, a police car dashcam captured one of these frightening moments, and the video is above (there is audio).

It was a little after 3:45 a.m. Friday, March 12. A sergeant had pulled over a drunk driver at 83rd and Troost, and other officers came on scene to help with the arrest. A 24-year-old officer was standing next to the driver’s door of the drunk man’s car beginning to take an inventory of the vehicle when they heard squealing tires, and another car driven by an intoxicated woman slammed into the first car, which slammed into the officer. You can see him being thrown to the pavement. It was an incredibly scary moment, but fortunately, the officer suffered only bumps and bruises to his right leg. He was taken to a hospital as a precaution but was released soon afterward.

This is yet another example of the dangers officers face every day and how dangerous drunk driving is for everyone on the road.

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