A Montgomery County, Maryland, police officer has lost the use of both of his legs after attempting to stop a reckless teenage driver.
Police Sgt. Patrick Kepp was putting out stop sticks to try to deflate the driver’s tires when the 19-year-old in a green Dodge Challenger “hit him on purpose” and didn’t stop. The teenage driver had been speeding at 110 mph and doing doughnuts going northbound on Interstate 270 early Wednesday morning.
“I got hit. I need fire and rescue,” Kepp told the 911 dispatch.
First responders quickly intervened to save the 36-year-old’s life by applying a tourniquet and rushing him to the hospital via helicopter.
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Mayorga was stopped by a second officer who had set up stop sticks. Both Mayorga and his passenger were arrested.
Drivers on I-270 had to follow alternate routes early Wednesday morning to get around the crash, which caused six hours of backups.
Kepp, who has served with the department since 2014, received an award in December 2021 for his efforts to deter impaired driving as an officer in the police department’s Alcohol Initiatives Unit.
“Today is another tough day for the Montgomery County police department. We find ourselves praying for the recovery of one of our own,” Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said in a press conference.
* ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/teen-driver-intentionally-hit-maryland-officer-lost-use-legs
