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May 20, 2008 6:25 pm US/Central
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Squad Car, Officer Struck By Drunk Driver
(WCCO)
A Brooklyn Park Police Officer was hit by a drunk driver while making a routine traffic stop Monday night.
The accident happened just after 10:00 p.m. near the 8600 block of Zane Avenue North.
Officer Bandy Gelle was outside of a vehicle talking to the driver of the stopped car, when her squad car was struck from behind by another driver.
The driver of the stopped car and the officer were both injured. The motorist in the stopped car was treated and released at the scene. The officer was treated and released at North Memorial Hospital.
"I heard a noise, I saw headlights. I knew immediately that I wasn't going to have time to get away. I was thrown to the side," said Gelle.The motorist who hit the squad, a 37-year-old man from Andover, was arrested and booked for criminal vehicular operation, third degree DWI, and third degree DWI alcohol concentration over 0.20. All three charges are gross misdemeanors.
The suspect makes his first court appearance at Brookdale Court Tuesday afternoon.
Gelle said after looking at the videotape, she's amazed she wasn't killed.
"I feel very lucky. I'm going to buy a lottery ticket," said said. "I have a newer appreciation. I think I will slow down, not take things for granted."
State troopers were involved in 210 crashes last year. A few of those crashes involved state troopers who were pusuing a suspect, but the vast majority of troopers injured in crashes involve situations where the trooper in on the shoulder for a traffic stop.
Breezing past a stopped officer isn't only rude and dangerous said police, it's also illegal. The "Ted Foss" Move Over Law requires drivers to safely move at least one lane away, provided there is one available.
Unfortunately, the law isn't well known on Minnesota roads. Police said they do the best they can to publicize it, but only a few hundred tickets are written for violations a year. The tickets usually range between $100 and $150.
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