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A Utah highway patrol officer who survived being struck by a car on a snowy highway says he feels lucky to be alive after viewing the dramatic dashcam footage of the incident.
- Footage shows the moment a black car hits a Utah trooper on the side of the road
- Sergeant Cade Brenchley suffered broken ribs and a broken scapula
- The officer says he holds no ill will toward the driver of the vehicle
Sergeant Cade Brenchley suffered broken ribs and a broken scapula when he was struck by a vehicle while trying to help a driver on the side of a highway.
Video shows Sergeant Brenchley, wearing a high-vis safety vest, getting out of his car and walking toward a white sedan when suddenly a small black car slides out of its lane, striking the trooper from behind.
The impact sends him flying through the air before he lands in a heap next to the white sedan.
The car's driver, along with several others, are seen running out to Sergeant Brenchley's aid.
"I've watched the video, I've watched it a couple of times. I truly believe miracles do happen," Sergeant Brenchley said.
"When I watched the video, I had no idea that [the impact] was that hard … I flew."
Sergeant Brenchley told Utah's Fox 13 "everything turned black" in the moment he was hit.
"I woke up and saw snow and I was laying there and it knocked the wind out of me … I was gasping for breath," Sergeant Brenchley said.
He said the driver of the black vehicle was "in hysterics" when she approached him.
"I hold no ill will toward her and if anybody should be upset it should be me or my family. But we're not," he said.
The driver of the black vehicle is "not to be vilified", he added.
Thanks to the action of quick-thinking bystanders who used the sergeant's radio to call for help, Sergeant Brenchley did not succumb to his serious injuries.
The first responders who arrived on scene included three of Sergeant Brenchley's cousins.
The 13-year highway patrol veteran is married and has four children.
Sergeant Brenchley's wife Lindsay said he was in high spirits despite being in constant pain following the incident.
He is well-known among the local community, having previously delivered twins on the side of the interstate and helped save a burn victim in a car crash, officials said.
He also spearheads the northern Utah public information and education efforts for the department and works with high schools.
Sergeant Brenchley is the 11th Utah trooper to be hit by a vehicle this year.
In 2017, 10 troopers were hit over the course of the entire year.
"In only three months, we have unfortunately surpassed that unacceptable number," the Department of Public Safety said.
ABC/Reuters
Topics: accidents, united-states
First posted