A Washington State Patrol trooper was hospitalized with serious injuries in a crash in Everett late Thursday night.
A preliminary investigation found that a man driving a gold 200 Cadillac Catera pulled out of a coffee stand onto Highway 99 around 11:30 p.m. and slammed into the trooper's patrol vehicle, according to KOMO-TV.
The 36-year-old trooper, a 11-year veteran of the department, was transported to Providence Hospital for treatment. The 48-year-old driver was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Both men are expected to recover.
Trooper Mark Francis told reporters that one of the hardest calls to hear over the radio is one in which a fellow trooper has been hit.
"Unfortunately, or sadly, we get hit all the time," Francis said. "We get crashed into all the time in our patrol cars. It's almost like commonplace. We're like, 'Here's another one.' But you are always, initially, 'I hope it's just a minor one.' "
Charges are pending against the driver and drugs or alcohol were not believed to be a factor in the crash.
