Boston police officer hit by construction vehicle, suffers serious injuries
BOSTON - A police officer is recovering after he was struck by a construction vehicle in Boston Thursday afternoon.
I-Team sources: Truck's back door swung open and hit the officer
It happened at the intersection of North Washington and Thacher streets shortly before 1 p.m. Paul McLaughlin of the Bureau of Investigative Services said the officer was working paid detail at a construction site and helping a construction vehicle cross the street when he was struck by the rear of the vehicle.
"At that point, he stopped traffic as the vehicle came through it struck him, causing him to fall to the ground," said McLaughlin.
According to I-Team sources, police have video of the incident that shows as the truck turned through the intersection, the back door of the truck swung open and hit the officer, knocking him to the ground.
The officer was treated at the scene and then brought to Mass General. His injuries are serious but non-life threatening.
Scott Hartmann, who is blind, was approaching the intersection at the time.
"There was a couple of trucks, you could hear their backup alarms," said Hartmann. "He stopped the truck to help me and then he was hit by the truck. And it was really upsetting."
"It can be very dangerous"
McLaughlin said this is a reminder of how dangerous working details can be.
"Details, depending on where they are and what exactly they entail, can be potentially dangerous, especially in high traffic areas, dealing with large construction trucks," said McLaughlin. "So potentially, it can be very dangerous"
According to McLaughlin, the driver is being cooperative but said it's too early to determine if they'll face any charges. The truck is owned by Metro Equipment Corporation. WBZ-TV reached out to the company for comment but there wasn't anyone available to speak.
