By Madeleine Marr
Miami Herald
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A Florida cop had a tough Monday at work and ended up in the hospital right before Thanksgiving.
According to a post from the Port St. Lucie Police Department, the man is lucky to be alive.
Around 1:11 a.m., the agency says PSLPD officers observed a female driver slumped over the steering wheel while stopped at a red light on a major thoroughfare in Port St. Lucie.
The vehicle, a silver KIA sedan, didn’t stay idle. It began to roll forward, run over the median, then turn into oncoming traffic.
“Without hesitation,” the cop got out of his patrol car and chased it, reads the FB post. “After some difficulty, the officer was able to open the vehicle door and put the car in park.”
Inside was the 19-year-old driver “who was not conscious and breathing shallowly.”
After she regained consciousness, a DUI investigation was conducted; she was arrested for driving under the influence.
[RELATED: DWI investigations: How officers can capitalize on the driver interview to gather evidence]
The post ends with thanking the hero’s “quick actions in stopping this vehicle and preventing any serious injuries to the driver or our residents.”
The cop injured his knee in process and was transported to a hospital to undergo further testing.
https://www.facebook.com/PortStLuciePolice/posts/1109728216098010
©2021 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.