Following his collision with a small dump truck on Thursday, a Boston police officer was sent to a nearby hospital with critical injuries, according to authorities.
Early on Thursday afternoon, something happened close to the intersection of Thacher Street and North Washington Street.
Deputy Superintendent Paul McLaughlin of the Boston Police Department stated shortly after 2:30 p.m. that the officer was struck by the dump truck’s rear end while on a construction detail.
“As the vehicle came through, it struck him, causing him to fall to the ground,” McLaughlin stated.
According to McLaughlin, the officer stayed at Massachusetts General Hospital after suffering “serious but non-life-threatening” injuries.
“All of a sudden I heard like a really loud pop,” Scott Hartmann stated.
Blind Scott Hartmann claimed he was attempting to cross the road with his guide dog. He said that the officer had been assisting him before he was struck.
“He came over to assist me and when he stopped the truck, the back gate, I guess, hit him,” Hartmann stated.
“If he didn’t stop us, we probably would’ve been hit by a car. He was looking out for me and my dog,” he added.
Police said that the driver who had allegedly struck the officer was still at the scene and was assisting the investigation. Metro Equipment Company operated the dump truck. After the collision, company representatives were present, but when questioned about what transpired, they didn’t say much.
“I just only got here myself,” one official stated. “I just arrived. I don’t know anything.”
As approximately 2:30 p.m., emergency personnel were still present, and warning tape was used to enclose a fair amount of the area. Traffic was prohibited on nearby roadways.
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“[It’s] very sad,” one person in the area stated. “I wouldn’t wish that on anybody, let alone somebody who was just trying to do their job and direct traffic.”
“Just hope he’s OK,” area resident Sam Marino stated. “That’s all we can do. Pray. That’s it.”
At roughly 4 p.m., the area’s roadways were once again available to traffic.
