Jan. 26--A Florida Highway Patrol motorcycle trooper was severely injured in a crash on State Road 528 early Thursday.
Trooper Dave Rodriguez, 38, was rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center with several broken bones, said troop spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes.
He is in stable condition and is being treated for a broken pelvis, leg and arm, she said.
The crash occurred on S.R. 528 near Orange Avenue, just west of Orlando International Airport at about 8:45 a.m.
Rodriguez had just completed a traffic stop and was sitting on the motorcycle on the inside shoulder when he was struck from behind.
Brittany Mikus, 21, of Pembroke Pines, was driving a silver Hyundai when she lost control of her vehicle and veered onto the shoulder, hitting the trooper, Montes said.
The force of the crash knocked down a speed-limit sign, which landed on top of the trooper, Montes said.
Three people stopped to help the injured trooper, including an undercover law-enforcement officer, a paramedic and a good Samaritan, Montes said.
The three worked together to lift the sign off Rodriguez.
When troopers arrived on scene, Rodriguez was conscious and talking. When he was hit, Rodriguez rolled onto the hood of the car and his helmet went into the windshield.
Glass fragments were found embedded in his helmet, Montes said.
"This is a severe-impact crash," Montes said. "We are extremely lucky he survived."
An investigation is ongoing and charges are pending.
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Copyright 2012 - The Orlando Sentinel, Fla.
