Unified Police officer hurt in I-215 collision; hit-run driver arrested

A Unified Police officer who stopped to help a motorist early Friday morning was injured when his cruiser was sideswiped by a suspected drunken, hit-and-run driver on Interstate 215.

The accident call came in at 2:05 a.m. from 245 West and westbound I-215, where the UPD officer had pulled over to assist a stranded motorist, said UPD Lt. Justin Hoyal.

The officer still was inside his cruiser, its emergency lights activated, when a pickup truck struck the cruiser and then was driven away from the scene. Another UPD officer spotted the truck about a mile away and pulled it over.

According to a probable cause statement, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper soon arrived and, after smelling alcohol on the driver and administering a field sobriety test, arrested him.

The 28-year-old man was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of class A misdemeanor leaving the scene of an injury accident; class B misdemeanor counts of driving while intoxicated and driving without insurance; and class C misdemeanor driving with a revoked vehicle registration.

The UPD officer was taken to the hospital for treatment of a shoulder injury and then released, Hoyal said.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims