Directing traffic is a largely thankless job that some officers have to do every now and then. And for one cop in Ohio, that job became incredibly dangerous. The officer was standing in the middle of an intersection, directing traffic away from a parade, when a Toyota made a turn and struck them. Fortunately, other officers near the scene rushed to their colleague’s aid and stopped the driver from going anywhere.
Officers quickly surround Toyota before it drives away
On October 1 at around 5:39 p.m., an officer was struck by a Toyota while standing in the intersection near Hamilton-Cleves Road and Cincinnati Brookeville and directing traffic away from the nearby Ross Local School District Homecoming Parade, according to a post by the Ross Township Police Department on its official Facebook page.
Video taken from bodycam footage of another cop at the scene shows the driver of the red 2010 Toyota not seeing the officer, despite them wearing reflective yellow vests. The cop sprints toward the vehicle and quickly prevents the Toyota from speeding off. A pair of officers order the driver to stop the vehicle, put it in park, and get out.
The driver, who has not been named or identified by the department, promptly comes out and stands off to the side. An officer is then seen grabbing the keys of the Toyota. The post doesn’t say whether the driver was arrested or faces any charges. Police say “drug impairment of the driver is suspected,” but no other information was provided on whether this goes beyond suspicion.
The struck officer was transported to a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening. The investigation is being conducted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
One commenter on Facebook was quick to remind readers that a typical traffic detail is not as easy of a gig that it might seem at first: “This is a reminder of just how quickly a routine traffic-control detail can become dangerous. Please slow down, stay alert, drive sober and watch for those working in and around the roadway. Wishing the Ross Township officer a speedy recovery.”
