LITTLE CANADA, Minn., May 19, 2005
Rammed By Pickup, Cop Survives
Deputy Hit During Traffic Stop Cheats Death; Watch the video
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Play CBS Video Video Truck Crashes Into Cop Minnesota police have released video of a sheriff's deputy being slammed by a truck during a traffic stop. Amazingly, the officer survived. Bridgette Bornstein of CBS station WCCO reports.
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Video Sheriff On Police Hit On The Early Show, Sheriff Bob Fletcher discusses the accident involving one of his deputies who was struck by a truck while aiding a motorist. Amazingly, the deputy only has minor injuries.
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(CBS/The Early Show)
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Pothen has some back injuries, but nothing life-threatening, Bornstein adds.
"He's a little sore, but he's doing great," Fletcher told co-anchor Julie Chen on The Early Show Thursday. "It's miraculous that nothing was broken. The CAT scan showed he has no serious injuries."
"In 28 years, I've never seen anything like it," Pothen continued. "The vehicle was traveling at about 50 miles per hour. We know that it hit the rear of the trooper's car and that slowed it down from the 55 that it was going. How he took that direct impact and survived it is beyond me. Most of us thought he would be dead. I've seen many accidents that were less impacting than that, and people suffered very serious injuries.
How could Pothen have been so fortunate?
"Had it not struck the front of woman's vehicle, we suspect it would have continued on a path and rolled over him," Fletcher said. "That slight impact and the front left corner of her vehicle caused the striking vehicle to go about ten degrees to the left thereby not rolling over him.
"I don't think anyone who watched that tape can describe it as anything but a miracle. …We're all still amazed. We think that the body that was thrown into that ditch has to be a different one that actually walked out of the hospital."
"(Pothen) himself didn't realize he had taken the impact directly," Fletcher poined out. "In fact, we took a copy of the tape to him and he was shocked as well that it had gone right through him."
The Minnesota State Patrol released the video to remind drivers that it is state law to slow down and move over to other lanes of traffic when they see law enforcement officers along highways.
Fletcher emphasizes traffic stops are the leading cause of death for law enforcers across the country, not only because of incidents like this one, but also because of stopped drivers who assault officers.
©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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