A Virginia state trooper will require several days of hospital care following his car being struck by an intoxicated driver. The trooper was monitoring traffic with his radar while parked in an Interstate 81 median when the accident occurred on early Sunday morning. Police say that the allegedly drunk man lost control of his vehicle, left the roadway and hit the trooper’s vehicle head on.
The inebriated man was arrested after the incident and charged with second offense DWI, driving on a suspended license and maiming and assault of another person while DWI.
The injured police officer has received a great deal of support from fellow officers and patrolmen. His colleagues said that they are pulling for him and they are praying and hoping that their injured friend makes a speedy recovery.
According to Virginia state troopers, patrolling the highway comes with certain dangers and it is impossible to know when another vehicle could lose control. Although legislative measures have been passed requiring drivers to give patrolling officers extra space, such as the move over law, there is still no way to ensure an officer’s safety.
When an officer is injured on the job, he or she will generally be covered by workers’ compensation insurance for medical care relating to his or her injuries and time spent unable to work. However the workers’ compensation insurance may not cover all the damages sustained by an officer in a car accident. In such cases, officers may also be able to pursue personal injury claims for damages if the accident was caused by another driver’s negligence or unlawful activity.
Source: whsv.com, “Police: Drunk Driver Sends Trooper to Hospital,” Ryan Tice, June 08, 2015