Horrifying moment ATV driver loses control and smashes into cop car that had swerved into its lane to block pedestrians
Video footage has captured the horrific moment an ATV driver lost control and crashed into a police car that had swerved into its lane to block pedestrians.
The ATV driver was seriously injured after the collision in New Haven, Connecticut on Sunday.
He was thrown violently over the dashboard when the police car suddenly veered into his lane and stopped briefly in front of him to prevent him from driving the ATV on a restricted road.
Despite this, police maintain that the officer was engaged in “potentially life-saving maneuvers on behalf of this family in danger.”
The incident occurred around 3:40 p.m., when officers responded to reports of ATV riders using a road restricted to pedestrian traffic since 2020.
Video footage has captured the horrific moment an ATV driver loses control and crashes into a police car that had swerved into its lane to block pedestrians
The ATV driver suffered serious injuries after the collision in New Haven, Connecticut on Sunday
He was thrown violently over the dashboard when the police car suddenly pulled into his lane and stopped briefly in front of him to prevent him from driving the ATV on a restricted road.
The officer, part of a team charged with handling complaints of reckless driving by ATV and dirt bike riders, was spotted patrolling the city’s East Rock Park when he spotted the ATV traveling at a high rate of speed on Farnam Drive toward pedestrians to ride.
In the video, the cruiser slows down and positions itself to block the lane just after families pass.
According to police, the cruiser’s maneuver gave room for the ATV driver to maneuver safely.
“Officers responded to reports of a group gathering there and using Farnam Drive to gain access to the park,” New Haven police said.
“The officers slowed the cruiser and turned it into an angle to protect the families and pedestrians they had just passed, while creating an exit area to the side of them where the approaching ATV could pass the cruiser,” police described.
Despite this, the ATV lost control and struck the passenger side window of the cruiser. The driver was seriously injured and taken to a hospital.
“This is an unfortunate and stark reminder of the extreme dangers of illegally driving ATVs and dirt bikes on city streets, both to pedestrians and to the operators of the vehicles themselves,” New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson said Tuesday in a statement.
“Our police officers performed a potentially life-saving maneuver on behalf of this family in danger.”
In the video, the cruiser slows down and positions itself to block the roadway just after families pass
According to police, the cruiser’s maneuver gave room for the ATV driver to maneuver safely
‘While we are pleased that the family has been protected from harm, what happened to the driver is tragic, and we hope for his full and speedy recovery and we urge the public not to participate in this type of activity Jacobson said.
“They hear an ATV coming their way, they move to the left side to protect the people behind them,” Jacobson added. ‘The officer was not traveling at any speed when the incident happened and subsequently the officer also indicated a way out which meant they could have got around the police car.’
“We need to make sure that the people, a large number of people walking and biking in that area, are safe so you’ll see more patrols in the future,” Jacobson said.