April 10, 2024
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
A Philadelphia Police officer riding a dirt bike was intentionally struck by an ATV driver on I-95 North on Tuesday evening, investigators say.
A Philadelphia police officer was injured Tuesday night after an altercation with an ATV rider on Interstate 95 North.
The ATV driver intentionally struck the officer with his vehicle near the Packer Avenue exit around 7:15 p.m, police said. The officer who works in the department's ATV unit was riding a dirt bike, 6ABC reported. The ATV rider was taken into custody.
"The officer assigned to ATV initiative, to combat this scourge of ATVs running rampant in the city, was intentionally struck during the performance of his duties," Philly Police Inspector George Kappe told 6ABC.
After he was struck, the officer followed the ATV driver to the Frankford area. Police found the ATV at the 5100 block of Erdrick Street and placed the suspect in custody. Police identified him with the help of a witness, investigators said.
The officer was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for treatment to a "road rash" and an injury to one of his feet. Police said he works in the 12th district and is a six-year veteran of the department.
"We have a strong initiative in the Philadelphia Police Department to combat this problem in the city, and nowhere is immune," Kappe said in a statement. "In any section of the city, you can see ATVs and dirt bikes riding recklessly, endangering the public. We're taking some proactive steps to curb this and eliminate this from happening."
