Police officers aren’t the only ones that risk their lives to keep the public safe. Their canine partners put their lives at risk as well. Sadly, this was the case in Spalding County this week.
A patrol car was traveling Northbound on Interstate-75 in Spalding County late Thursday night. It was about 7 pm when they tried to turn around using the median turnaround provided to police and emergency personnel.
As the officer’s vehicle entered the Northbound traffic, a tractor trailer driving behind them decided to switch lanes. The rig was in the far-right lane and was merging into the center lane. As he did so, he crashed into the passenger door of the Spalding County police cruiser. Both vehicles were slammed into the median and the tractor trailer ended up flipping over.
The driver of the police vehicle was transported by ambulance to Piedmont Henry Hospital. The driver of the tractor trailer had to be airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital due to his serious injuries.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash and nobody else suffered any injuries. Sadly, the police officer’s partner, Thorr, a police dog, sustained serious injuries in the accident. Thorr didn’t survive the crash and sadly passed away from his injuries.
The accident investigation is still ongoing. The names of the officer and the tractor trailer driver have not yet been released. Nor have authorities provided an update on their condition.
The police car didn’t appear to have their lights or sirens on at the time of the crash. They were simply attempting to patrol the other side of the highway.
If you or your loved one are injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact our car accident lawyers right away.
Source: https://www.ajc.com/news/traffic/breaking-crash-involving-patrol-car-tractor-trailer-shuts-down-both-directions/AvdLNhgIDLaJfBLTM2tjGN/
