Nashville officer injured after vehicle smashes patrol car while responding to highway wreck

A Nashville police officer was injured in a hit-and-run while helping with a highway wreck over the weekend, authorities said Sunday.

South Precinct Officer Kristopher Sharpe was assisting with a crash that occurred overnight on I-24 East near Hickory Hollow Parkway, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said.

SOUTH CAROLINA OFFICER KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY, POLICE SAY

Sharpe was sitting in his marked patrol car when a silver Volvo SUV struck his vehicle from behind, according to police. 

The officer was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with head and neck injuries. His injuries were non-life threatening and police said he was expected to be released later Sunday.

Police said that all occupants inside the Volvo jumped out and fled on foot into a wooded area. Investigators were working to identify the individuals.

Meanwhile, two similar incidents involving deputies happened in Florida over the weekend.

Two Clearwater police officers were working a crash scene on U.S. Route 19 Friday night when a car smashed into their police cruiser, the department said. No officers were injured, and police urged drivers to “slow down and move over” for stopped emergency vehicles.

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The second incident happened just before midnight Saturday when a suspected drunken driver hit a Florida Highway Patrol trooper’s vehicle while he was investigating a crash along U.S. 19.

The trooper and the accused impaired driver both suffered minor injuries, FHP said.

Both Tennessee and Florida, along with the other 48 states, have a “Move Over” law which requires drivers to slow down or move to an adjacent lane for emergency vehicles that have their lights flashing or are assisting in emergencies.