Blaine officer injured when thrown from Corvette during DWI traffic stop, police say

A police officer in Blaine, Minnesota, is recovering after being thrown from a vehicle while responding to a DWI-related crash on Monday afternoon.

Blaine police said it happened just after 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of Jefferson Street Northeast and Northtown Drive when officers were at the scene of a crash.

Witnesses told officers one of the motorists was "recklessly" driving a Corvette before the collision, and police say one of the officers "observed signs of suspected impairment."

While speaking to authorities, the motorist "began walking back toward his vehicle," according to police, before jumping into the driver's seat and accelerating in reverse.

Police say officer Patrick Graves was "partially inside" the Corvette as the motorist put the car into drive and sped off, "causing the officer to be thrown from the vehicle." The motorist soon crashed into a retaining wall, overturning the Corvette. 

Both Graves and the motorist were taken to the hospital with undisclosed injuries. Graves, a three-year veteran with the police department, has been released and is recovering at home.

The driver — a 58-year-old Spring Lake Park man — is facing multiple charges, including assault, criminal vehicular operation and DWI.