A New Hampshire police officer was injured Thursday in a bizarre incident when he was struck by a broken telephone pole at a crash scene.
An Amherst police officer had responded to a crash at around 9:30 a.m. that had taken down a telephone pole and caused utility wires to sag low over the street, WMUR-TV reports. While the officer was outside his cruiser, a truck on the opposite side of roadway apparently struck the wires, pulling the broken pole and knocking the officer off his feet.
The officer was rushed to the hospital, where he was treated and released. Chief Anthony Ciampoli told WMUR that the officer's injuries were mitigated thanks to the way the pole struck him.
The truck that struck the wires did not stop, but police were able to locate the driver later. It was unclear if the driver faces any charges in the incident.
"Someone neglects to see the entire scene in front of them, and this was 100% avoidable if we're using common sense and if we have respect for all those on the roadway," said Ciampoli.
