Oklahoma authorities released a dash cam video Thursday showing the moment that a car slammed into a state trooper during a routine traffic stop earlier in January.
The video shows trooper Jesse Gregory questioning the motorist through the passenger side window when another car slams into them. The impact from the collision launches the trooper into the air, and he tumbles backward. Gregory is expected to make a full recovery, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said in the Facebook post. (RELATED: Video Shows Suspect Drag State Trooper Across Road As He Allegedly Attempts To Flee Traffic Stop)
Hair-raising dashcam video shows a state trooper narrowly avoiding disaster when an SUV crashes into a car on the side of an Oklahoma highway.https://t.co/VvPAY5FlPn
— FOX21 News (@FOX21News) January 25, 2024
“Oh my gosh! I’m glad he was on the passenger side. Probably saved his life!” one Facebook user commented. “You would think people would be a bit more [careful] when they’re approaching a traffic stop. Move to the other lane or at least proceed with caution.”
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol stated that although the “video is hard to watch,” they are sharing it “as a graphic reminder of the consequences of distracted or impaired driving and the importance of the slow down, move over law,” according to the Facebook post.
The highway patrol stated in the Facebook post that they are in the midst of a campaign emphasizing the dangers of distracted driving in honor of Trooper Nicholas Dees, who was struck and killed by a vehicle in 2015.
Another Facebook commentator called attention to the problem of distracted driving by posting, “Too many people texting while they are driving! I see it all the time and it makes me so mad!”
The other two people involved in the crash were treated and released, according to the Facebook post.