A D.C. police officer was seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle while assisting a driver with a disabled car on Interstate 695. The incident occurred near South Capitol Street at approximately 10:10 p.m. Police said the driver involved was speeding and remained at the scene following the collision, according to NBC Washington.
The injured officer, assigned to the Metropolitan Police Department’s First District, was outside his patrol vehicle assisting a motorist when he was struck. The D.C. police union said the officer sustained serious injuries and is receiving treatment at a hospital. Authorities reported that the driver of the disabled vehicle was not injured.
Responding officers located their colleague unconscious at the scene and provided emergency aid before the officer was transported to a hospital for treatment. The eastbound lanes of I-695 near the Third Street Tunnel were closed following the incident and reopened later, as per WUSA9.
The driver involved in the collision also sustained injuries that were described as non-life-threatening and was transported to a hospital for treatment. The Metropolitan Police Department stated that additional information will be released once its press bureau reopens, as reported by WJLA.
