Vancouver police officer struck by driver during distracted driving enforcement
Officer has been unable to return to work, VPD says
A Vancouver police officer is recovering after being struck by a driver with a learner's permit during a distracted driving crackdown last week.
The incident happened on the McGill Street on-ramp toward Highway 1 around 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 23. Police say the officer had pulled over a distracted driver and returned to their unmarked SUV, which had its lights and sirens activated, to write the ticket.
As the officer filled out the paperwork, a Mazda coming from behind drifted onto the shoulder and rear-ended the officer's vehicle.
"The officer seated inside the vehicle was injured and has been off work ever since," Vancouver police Sgt. Aaron Roed said Wednesday.
"We never want to see any officer hurt in the course of their duties and we are wishing them a speedy recovery," Roed said, adding it is not clear when the officer will be able to return to work.
Dashcam footage provided to police captured the collision. The driver of the Mazda, their passenger, as well as the driver of the first vehicle were unhurt.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VPD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VPD</a> is dedicated to increasing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/roadsafety?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#roadsafety</a> with targeted enforcement of unsafe driving behavior. A Vancouver Police Constable was struck by a distractive driver last month while working on a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DistractiveDriving?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DistractiveDriving</a> Campaign. Please drive with care and keep your eyes on the road. <a href="https://t.co/abpb6Zowmy">pic.twitter.com/abpb6Zowmy</a>
—@VancouverPDRoed said the driver of the Mazda had a learner's permit, which requires a driver to drive with a qualified supervisor who has their own driver's licence — but in this case, Roed said, the passenger did not have their own licence.
The driver was ticketed for driving without due care and attention, disobeying driver's licence restrictions and failure to display an "L" for a total of $580 in fines.
The first driver was also issued a ticket in relation to distracted driving.
Roed said the force upped its enforcement against distracted driving during the month of September, reminding drivers to drive smarter as students return to school and the weather begins to shift.