Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda called one of his patrol officers "very lucky" Wednesday, a day after the officer was injured after being struck by a motorist at Best and Sweeney streets.
Officer Ivan Watkins, 44, remained in fair condition Wednesday night in Erie County Medical Center with head, leg and hip injuries.
It could have been worse. If Watkins had been a foot or two to his left when he was struck by the vehicle driven by James Robinson, 54, of East Utica Street, he would have been crushed between his patrol car and Robinson's vehicle, according to witness accounts of the crash.
Watkins was outside his C District patrol car at about 10 p.m., inspecting a car that had broken down near the intersection, when Robinson's vehicle crashed into the officer, sending him flying, Derenda said.
Watkins was knocked unconscious but came to as he was taken to ECMC, the police commissioner said.
Robinson was taken into custody after the crash and charged with driving while intoxicated, vehicular assault, assault with criminal negligence and colliding with an emergency vehicle.
Derenda said members of the Police Accident Investigation Unit have been conferring with prosecutors from the Erie County District Attorney's Office, who are expected to place the case before a grand jury in the next few weeks.
Robinson was arraigned Wednesday morning and will remain jailed pending further Buffalo City Court proceedings.
Derenda and Mayor Byron W. Brown were among those who visited Watkins, a 23-year veteran of the force, in the hospital.
The police commissioner, a colleague and friend of Watkins for more than 20 years, said Watkins "is not only a good police officer, he's a lucky police officer."
Brown visited with Watkins and the officer's wife, Octavia, in ECMC late Wednesday morning. He afterward said Watkins was in "very good spirits and in good humor."
Brown said that during his visit with Watkins, the injured officer emphasized that "he looks forward to getting back to work as quickly as possible.
Copyright 2011 - The Buffalo News, N.Y.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
