Police officer struck by suspected drunken driver during separate DUI arrest

The Lakewood Police Department released images of a patrol car heavily damaged when it was struck by a suspected drunken driver on Saturday, May 11, 2019.

Credit: Lakewood Police Department

Credit: Lakewood Police Department

The Lakewood Police Department released images of a patrol car heavily damaged when it was struck by a suspected drunken driver on Saturday, May 11, 2019.

A Colorado police officer was injured early Saturday when a suspected drunken driver struck his patrol vehicle while he was arresting another suspected drunken driver, according to the Lakewood Police Department and multiple reports.

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Photos and video released by police showed the extent of the damage caused to the patrol vehicle, which authorities said served as “a stark reminder that simply being on the road is one of the dangerous parts of the job.”

"If he had been outside and didn't have the protection of his patrol car, it could have been worse," Officer Louis Strube told KMGH-TV.

In an email to The Denver Post, Strube said the officer, who was not identified, was making a DUI arrest around 3 a.m. Saturday when his car was hit from behind.

Strube told the Post the officer and the two suspected drunken drivers were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries and later released. Both suspected drunken drivers have been arrested and booked into Jefferson County Jail, KMGH-TV reported.