A Castle Hills police officer is home from the hospital after an early-morning hit and run turned a burglary search into a crash scene at one of the North Side’s busiest crossroads.
The collision happened around 3 a.m. at Blanco Road and the Northwest Loop 410 frontage road, according to police. A marked patrol unit, out looking for a vehicle suspected in recent burglary activity, was struck by a hit-and-run driver who disappeared before officers could stop them.
Crash details from police
According to KABB, officers were in the area searching for a vehicle possibly tied to recent burglaries when a black sedan ignored a traffic control device and slammed into the side of the patrol unit as the officer turned onto the frontage road. The driver kept going, leaving the squad car damaged and the officer hurt.
The officer was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and later released, KABB reports.
Police: Search continues
"Police are still searching for the driver involved in the initial incident and the collision with the officer," KABB reports. Investigators are hoping someone’s dash-cam or doorbell video caught the fleeing sedan as it left the scene.
Recent policing on the same stretch
The overnight crash is not the first tense moment on that stretch of Loop 410 this year. In late March, officers responded to a separate hit-and-run on the highway that escalated into an officer-involved shooting, as reported by KSAT. Together, that earlier encounter and this week’s hit and run have put the north-side Loop 410 frontage roads under extra scrutiny from local departments.
How to help
Police say they are looking for a black sedan and are asking anyone with information to call dispatch at 210-342-2341 or use the department’s online tip forms, per the Castle Hills Police Department. Investigators have not released any additional identifying details about the driver.
As of Wednesday, officers were still working the case and the search remained active. Authorities had not announced any arrests and said more information will be released as it becomes available.
