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.”

The crash probably totaled the cruiser. Portland is a small department. While four officers, including the chief, may be on duty at one time, they only have three cars. Now they’re down one and it may take a while to get a replacement.

“I may be reduced to bike patrol for a couple months, but we’ll see about the replacement of the car,” Thomas said, only half-joking.  

Fortunately, that’s the worst news to come out of the crash. The officer will be OK.

Even though the impact was on the passenger’s side, a crash at that speed can cause major injuries to a driver.  

“The impact and the jostling the bodies take inside a motor vehicle is extreme,” Thomas said. “So there’s always the danger of your brain shaking inside your skull, your neck snapping.”

The FBI’s annual Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted Report breaks down the number of officers killed in the line of duty and the reasons. In 2018, 51 officers died of accidental deaths in the U.S. Thirty-one died in vehicle crashes. Eight were hit and killed at crash or crime scenes. The numbers were up slightly from 2017. 

“We have laws that are in place to move over when you see emergency vehicles. But you should absolutely be moving much slower than even what you feel may be necessary,” Thomas said. “Hopefully, seeing something like this can bring some awareness that these weather conditions are serious.”

There is no word on whether the driver who hit the cruiser was ticketed. Since the crash involved a Portland officer, the case was handed over to the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office for investigation. No one at the sheriff’s office was available to comment Monday because of the holiday.