An Oklahoma police officer collided head-on with a vehicle in a chase as it was headed toward a crowded festival over the weekend.
"Today, Sallisaw Police Captain, John Weber, performed a lifesaving, heroic act all while completely placing his own life in jeopardy," the city stated in a social media post.
The incident happened Saturday as a police chase was speeding toward the city's Diamond Daze Festival, KOKI-TV reports. Weber and Officer Wesley McGuirt were working at the festival and were alerted to the pursuit headed toward them.
"Captain Weber and Officer McGuirt were the last line of defense before the suspect vehicle would have entered the Diamond Daze event area," Chief Terry Franklin stated in a social media post.
As the suspect's vehicle got closer to the event, Weber determined that the best course of action was to crash his cruiser into the car before it reached any crowds. A street camera captured the head-on collision, and Weber's body camera detailed the incident from inside the police cruiser.
Weber broke his wrist in the crash, and McGuirt suffered cuts and bruises. A passenger in the other vehicle suffered leg injuries, while the driver and another passenger were uninjured.
"As chief of police I am beyond proud of these two officers for the quick response and action that they took," Franklin stated.
