(WSVN) - Traffic trouble for one Ohio police officer when he was hit by a car. That officer talked about the danger on duty while he recovered from his injuries.
A traffic stop took a dangerous turn as a driver completed a sobriety test in Ohio, Friday night.
Dashcam video showed Sergeant Brett Harrison arrived to provide back-up and protect the driver who was being tested.
“A little bit in the roadway in case that person is really impaired, if they stumble, fall or trip, I don’t want them going into the roadway,” said Harrison.
Harrison stood next to the cruiser with lights flashing.
That’s when he was struck by a fast-moving SUV driven by a 69-year-old woman.
“As soon as I turned and saw it, I thought ‘oh no, this bad, I didn’t have time to get out of the way, I moved a little bit,” said Harrison. “There wasn’t a ton of pain in that initial hit until I got on the ground and then I realized this isn’t good. My initial thought was I don’t want to die here on the side of the road, I didn’t know how bad the injuries were.”
Another officer pulled Harrison out of the road. The impact injured Harrison’s right arm.
He also suffered two dislocated toes and a contusion on his calf which appeared to have been caused by one of the tires on the SUV.
“It could have been a lot worse, you know of course up to death, I am lucky that it was minor injuries and that I get to walk away,” said Harrison.
The driver who hit Harrison told police she did not see him and while some may question how far out he was standing, Police Chief Matt Neil quickly came to the sergeant’s defense.
“There’s plenty of room in that roadway,” said Neil “There are three lanes there, and every other car moved to that center lane which was a turn lane. You know it seems every six months, we have another police officer, firefighter, O-DOT worker, or tow operator hit on the side of the road or turning on the news and watching the aftermath and we just need to pay attention.”
Harrison is home from the hospital, recovering from his injuries, but he’s determined to get back to work in a couple of weeks.
“It’s a huge relief and I feel lucky to be alive and be as well as I am,” Harrison said.
Authorities have not decided whether the driver who struck the sergeant will be cited.
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