An Independence Police Department officer sent to help Bellevue, Kentucky police during the WEBN Fireworks show is now recovering at home with a fractured skull after a crash involving the all-terrain vehicle he was riding on patrol. Officer Tyler Runge suffered serious injuries in the crash, which happened as Bellevue police were responding to a report of an unresponsive woman in a parking lot during the Labor Day weekend celebration on Sunday, September 6.
Runge was riding the ATV when the crash occurred as he responded to that emergency call, according to details his family shared on Facebook. As reported by WLWT, he was rushed to a hospital following the collision. The Bellevue Police Department said in a statement that the department was heartbroken that Runge was injured in its city while protecting and serving Bellevue residents, and it asked the public to support him and his family and keep them in their prayers.
Skull Fracture and Bleeding on the Brain
Runge's family said he suffered a fractured skull along with bleeding and swelling in his brain, and he received staples in his head to close the wound. The family did not publicly identify the type of brain bleeding. He was discharged from the hospital on Monday, but his family says he is experiencing significant pain and remains in recovery.
A GoFundMe was set up to help Runge and his family during his recovery, per the same Facebook account that has been sharing updates on his condition. The crash unfolded during one of the region's most heavily attended annual events. The 2026 Western & Southern/WEBN Fireworks show marked the 50th anniversary of the Riverfest tradition, an event that typically draws nearly 500,000 spectators to the Ohio River banks in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, according to coverage from WCPO. Hoodline previously reported on the 50th anniversary blowout plans for the riverfront celebration months before the show went off.
A Cross-County Mutual Aid Response
Bellevue sits directly along the Ohio River waterfront in Campbell County, while Independence, where Runge is a sworn officer, operates roughly 20 miles south in Kenton County, according to a staff directory maintained by LINK nky. For this event, Bellevue received help from Independence across the county line, and Independence has built its own reputation for professional standards. The department is accredited through the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police, as the outlet's reporting notes. Independence also contributes to regional emergency response, and in 2024 the department equipped all of its patrol cruisers with automated external defibrillators and Flock Safety license-plate reader technology.
A Recognized History of Emergency Response
Runge has served as a sworn law enforcement officer with the Independence Police Department. He is no stranger to high-stakes emergency intervention: in January 2026, he received a Lifesaving Award from Independence Mayor Christopher Reinersman for rescuing a lethargic individual from a vehicle fitted with a hose running from the exhaust pipe during a November 2025 call, according to the Northern Kentucky Tribune. That November call had come in a neighboring city, where Runge responded as the closest available unit — a pattern of cross-border emergency response that echoes the mutual aid assignment that led to his injury during WEBN Fireworks weekend.
Runge is now recovering from his injuries at home, according to family updates and the WLWT report by digital editor Matthew Dietz. No further details have been released about the vehicle or driver involved in the crash.
