A New York State trooper was seriously injured when a semi-truck plowed into his parked patrol car on the side of a busy upstate highway – obliterating the cruiser and sending the cop flying over a guardrail, police said.
The freakish incident unfolded around 12:39 p.m. Friday as the trooper was conducting a traffic stop on the New York State Thruway in Schenectady County, just 25 miles southwest of Albany.
The trailer-less tractor was traveling westbound on Interstate 90 when it slammed into the squad car, according to state police, which shared startling images of the collision.
Police said the impact hurled the trooper, who was standing on the passenger side of a Honda Odyssey involved in the traffic stop, over the metal barrier and tumbling down an embankment.
“The incident is a powerful reminder: New York’s Move Over Law is not optional,” police said, referring to a state law that requires motorists to slow down and shift lanes when a vehicle is stopped on an Empire State roadway.
“When you see emergency, police, fire, or highway crews on the shoulder – slow down and move over. Lives depend on it.”
Images of the wreck showed the mangled cop car perched atop the flattened guardrail, its rear end sheared off, car hood damaged, windshield shattered and airbags deployed.
The cruiser also smashed into the back of the Honda, leaving it severely damaged and shuttering the thruway for hours.
The trooper was taken to Albany Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The Honda driver and passenger suffered minor injuries and were transported to St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam, police said.
It was not immediately clear if the truck driver, who was not identified, was charged.
“We wish our Trooper a full and speedy recovery,” police said.
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