A man riding a bicycle was hit and significantly injured by a northwest Georgia police officer early Thursday at the intersection of Thornton Avenue and Cuyler Street.

Officer Allexis Rittenhouse, 23, was traveling north on Thornton Avenue when the eastbound bicycle crossed the road and was hit just before 12:50 a.m., authorities said.

“Preliminary indications are that the officer had a green light and the pedestrian was crossing on a red light,” Dalton police spokesman Bruce Frazier said.

Earnest Harry Cooper, 54, of Dalton, was taken to Hamilton Medical Center with significant injuries.

The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the crash.

No other details were released.

Dalton is about 90 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.

— Please return to AJC.com for updates.

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