A Dothan police officer was seriously injured in a crash Tuesday while responding to a burglary call.
A call to 911 reported a burglary in progress in the 1100 block of South Bell Street. The caller reported that the suspect tried to get in through the front door but was unsuccessful.
It was believed the suspect was in the back yard of the residence, said Dothan Police Chief Will Benny.
Officers started responding to the call using emergency lights and sirens.
During the response, an officer was involved in a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of West Main Street and Montana Street.
The crash severely damaged a utility pole, and the police vehicle was totaled.
The officer sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, and was transported by Pilcher’s Ambulance to an area hospital for treatment.
Benny said while the injuries to the officer were serious, he is thankful the injuries were not worse given the severity of the crash. He said he is also thankful no one else was injured.
Crash investigators responded to the scene and are currently sorting through the available data and video recordings of the event.
“Emergency responses are inherently dangerous but necessary during the course of an officer’s tour of duty,’’ Benny said. “The balance between catching a criminal and injuring an innocent person or ourselves is something we take very seriously.”
“The investigation into what happened, why it happened and how we can prevent it in the future is underway,’’ he said.
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