By Yolanda Rodriguez
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta — A Cobb County police officer injured in a traffic accident was in stable condition following surgery Friday afternoon, officials said.
The officer’s name was not released, at the request of his family, said Officer Wayne Delk, a spokesman for the department.
The officer’s legs were severely injured in the accident, which occurred Friday about 9:30 a.m. on Austell Road, near Pair Street.
Cobb Police Chief George Hatfield said the officer has been with the department for about a year.
“He’s good, real good,” Hatfield said. The officer was in ICU, he said.
“He has a long road to recovery. He can come back from this,” Hatfield said. “I feel very optimistic he will come back from this.”
Cobb police said the officer was investigating a traffic crash when he walked to the rear of an ambulance that was transporting the victims of the original crash.
That is when the officer was hit by a Buick Regal driven by Doris Mellen, 86, of Marietta. He was pinned between the Buick and the ambulance.
The two patients inside the ambulance, Christie Wyatt, 41, of Powder Springs, and Cheka White, 27, of Austell, were taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital in another ambulance.
Two Metro Ambulance employees, Amy Garrett, 30, of Smyrna, and Cassondra Dessonville, 27, of Dallas were also taken to WellStar Kennestone with injuries.
Delk said the accident was still under investigation.
Copyright 2007 Atltanta Journal-Constitution