By Shaddi Abusaid
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — An Atlanta police officer suffered “significant injuries” after being struck by a car overnight while helping a stranded driver on the interstate, authorities said Saturday.
The officer was hit about 4:45 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of I-20 near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta police spokeswoman Officer TaSheena Brown said.
“He sustained significant injuries, but nothing life-threatening,” she said.
According to police, the officer was stuck after getting out of his patrol car to help a driver whose car broke down in one of the travel lanes. He turned on his emergency lights and got out while a second officer tried to shut down the highway.
“During this time, a black sedan made its way through and rear-ended the initial responding officer’s patrol vehicle,” Brown said. “The officer, who was standing outside of their patrol vehicle with their traffic vest on, was also struck.”
Both the officer and the 35-year-old woman who hit him were taken to the hospital, police said, adding that charges against the driver are pending.
Eastbound traffic was diverted off the interstate for more than two hours as police investigated the crash, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. All lanes reopened about 7 a.m.
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