PONTIAC, Mich. – An Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputy was seriously injured Friday after his patrol vehicle was broadsided by another vehicle that ran a red light in Pontiac.
Original Story: Police: Wrong-way driver, likely drunk, crashes into deputy’s car in Pontiac
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According to authorities, the deputy suffered multiple injuries and is hospitalized in stable condition in an intensive care unit. Police said the driver of the other vehicle, a 36-year-old Pontiac man, was also hospitalized.
Police believe alcohol was a factor in the collision.
“One of our Deputies was seriously injured this morning because another driver made the horribly irresponsible decision to drink and drive,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “This is yet another graphic illustration where drinking alcohol and operating any kind of motor vehicle can have life-altering consequences. We’re fortunate no one was killed and pray for the deputy’s speedy recovery.”
Authorities said the Pontiac man was traveling eastbound in the westbound lane of Michigan Avenue just after midnight when he ran a red light and crashed into the patrol vehicle, which driving northbound on Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard.
The Sheriff’s Office said the patrol vehicle was totaled in the crash and that the Pontiac man was a frequent traffic offender that had been cited seven times for driving with a suspended license, six times for speeding, disobeying a stop sign, having open intoxicants in a vehicle and for failing to display a valid driver’s license.
Investigators obtained a search warrant to take a sample of the man’s blood to test it for alcohol content. The results will be turned over to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for possible criminal charges.
More: Oakland County news