A Lawrenceville man slammed into a Sandy Springs police vehicle Sunday night while an officer and his K-9 were inside, authorities said.
The officer was in a lane closure on I-285 East near Peachtree-Dunwoody Road with his emergency equipment activated and fully visible, according to a Facebook post from the Sandy Springs Police Department.
Authorities believe 57-year-old Apolinar Mondragon Lucas was driving drunk when he struck the patrol car just before 11 p.m.
The officer, whose name wasn’t released, was taken to a hospital and the K-9 to a veterinarian. The officer suffered a concussion, police spokesman Sgt. Salvador Ortega said. The K-9 was not injured.
“It appears the built-in kennel protected him well,” Ortega said.
Both the officer and the K-9 were released hours later and are recovering, he said.
Lucas was charged with DUI, failure to maintain lane, having a suspended vehicle registration, driving while unlicensed and move over law violation.
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