Ocala, Fla. (WSVN) — A Florida law enforcement officer shares a tale of survival after a heart-stopping crash in Ocala.
“If you love your job, If you truly love your job you will never work a day in your life,” said Ocala Police Sgt. Ron Malone.
Malone first put on his badge for the Ocala Police Department 15 years ago.
Despite his co-workers calling him Batman, the real life crime fighter faces serious risks every time he clocks in.
It is something he experienced first hand one month ago.
Dashcam footage captured the moment when a car, racing at over 90 miles per hour, collided with Sergeant Ron Malone’s cruiser last month.
The suspect was running away from police after he had just hit a pedestrian and another patrol car.
“They were going so fast I never even had a chance,” he said.
The impact killed the suspect driving the other car and seriously injured Sgt. Malone, who spent 17 days in the hospital.
“I think the way my wheels were placed and the way I parked and the way I’m trained at the department, that was a critical part of me making it. Wow, I don’t get it,” he said.
A month later, Sgt. Malone saw his smashed up police cruiser for the first time and was shocked at the amount of damage.
“But now I’m looking at it and its like, ‘Oh my God. It’s all right there,'” he said.
Malone said the toughest part about all this has been how its impacted his family, especially his son.
“He said, ‘Dad, I almost lost you,'” Malone said.
And while it weighs heavy on him, Malone said it’s not time to hang up the towel yet. He believes God saved him that night for a reason.
“I ask myself that, ‘What is the reason?’ And I’m not going to be able to answer that, but whatever it is, you can rest assured I’ll give it 100% I’m here,” he said.
Malone said that his heart goes out to the family of the 26-year-old pedestrian who was killed in the earlier crash.
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