This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A Park City Police Department motorcycle officer was injured Tuesday night in a collision with a deer on Kearns Boulevard.

The officer's name was not released. Phil Kirk, a police captain, said the officer has been with the department for several years. He declined to provide details about the injuries but said the officer was taken to the hospital.

According to Kirk, the officer was riding westbound on Kearns Boulevard near the Park City Cemetery, approximately 700 feet west of the Bonanza Drive intersection. The accident was reported at 10:46 p.m.

Kirk said the police believe the deer was in the cemetery, hopped the fence and went into the road. The deer "jumped right in front of him. It was dark," Kirk said. "He was able to get on police radio and let us know what happened."

A Park City Fire District ambulance took the officer to the Park City Medical Center. Kirk said the officer was treated and released. It was not clear how long the officer will be out of work.

The deer was killed on impact and the motorcycle was damaged. The Utah Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. It is standard procedure to request an outside agency conduct an accident investigation when a police officer is involved.