Each day, police officers throughout the New Castle put their lives on the line to assist those in the Pittsburgh area. Because they often find themselves in dangerous situations while protecting others, at times they are hurt. A Pittsburgh police officer was injured earlier this week on Route 65 near the McKees Rocks Bridge as she was assisting another driver who had run out of gas.

The police officer was apparently sitting in her cruiser with her emergency lights on and flares surrounding her vehicle, as well as the one that was stalled, when she was struck from behind by a SUV. The force of the impact caused the officer to hit her head. Thought she was alert following the incident, she was nonetheless taken to a hospital to be examined.

The man who was behind the wheel of the SUV was also transported to an area hospital after the rear-end crash. The extent of his injuries is not known but he did apparently speak with authorities while there.

The cause of the car accident is currently under investigation. The man driving the SUV indicated that just prior to the collision he was attempting to change lanes and checking traffic for an opportunity to do so in his rearview mirror. Though one officer indicated his inability to understand how the driver of the SUV did not see the flares and flashing lights in front of him, impaired driving does not appear to be a contributing factor.

Whether the driver of the SUV will face either a criminal or civil court case remains to be seen.

Source: KDKA, "Police Officer Recovering After Accident On Route 65," Mary Robb Jackson, Sept. 10, 2012