PORTLAND, Mich. (WOOD) — A close call for a Portland police officer shows why you should heed the warning when authorities say you should slow down during bad weather.
The officer was injured Saturday when his cruiser was struck on the side of I-96 as he responded to another weather-related crash.
Monday was the first time Portland Police Chief Star Thomas got a close look at the damaged 2016 Ford Interceptor Utility.
"I'm a little startled, especially seeing the damage around the B pillar, and the angle at which the officer took the hit," Thomas said as she walked around the battle-scarred cruiser.
The officer injured in the crash, who joined the Portland police force about nine months ago, had been sent to a crash on the highway near the Ionia-Clinton county line. His cruiser warning lights were on and other emergency vehicles had already lit up the scene.
Then another SUV, driving speeds estimated between 50 and 60 mph, began to slide on the snow-covered roadway.
"They came from behind directly into what's called the B pillar or supporting post, right at an angle," Thomas said. "They bounced off, but in doing so, pushed the vehicle into the (cable barrier) on the median."