TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa Police sergeant is recovering after being struck by a vehicle while directing traffic following a concert at Raymond James Stadium just after midnight Sunday, according to the department.
Officials said the sergeant, wearing a reflective traffic vest and assigned to a traffic post, lawfully entered the roadway on West Martin Luther King Drive near North Himes Avenue when he was hit by a man driving a 2006 Chrysler Crossfire who failed to stop.
Police said the driver, a 44-year-old man, was traveling eastbound when his vehicle left the center lane and entered the outside lane, striking the sergeant.
The officer was taken to a local hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries. As of Sunday morning, police said he is stable and in good spirits.
The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. He was cited for careless driving causing serious bodily injury, according to Tampa Police.
“I’m incredibly grateful and relieved to know that one of our officers is OK after an incident that could’ve been deadly,” Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. “It serves as a stark reminder that even in some of the most routine tasks, our officers risk their lives to keep our community, and in this case concert-goers, safe.”
Police said speed and impairment are not believed to be factors. The investigation remains ongoing.
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