Belle Isle police officer recounts the moment he was injured after traffic stop

A Belle Isle police officer is reliving the night a traffic stop almost cost him his life when a car carrying a trailer ended up on top of his chest.

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Belle Isle Police Officer Zachary Mathews said pure adrenaline helped him lift the trailer off his chest, and miraculously, he could free himself.

Bodycam video of the incident that was captured last week shows the officer tried to arrest the man he pulled over when he was run over by the trailer.

The officer told Channel 9 that he could only think about freeing himself to help his partner.

Read: Belle Isle officer injured during traffic stop, department says

Mathews said he pulled the suspect over because the lights on his trailer weren’t working, and he thought it would be a routine traffic stop.

Mathews is recovering after the dramatic encounter with a suspect.

“You are more in the moment of ‘What I have to do to survive this,’” Mathews said.

Mathews said he’s made over 1,000 stops in just one year on the job.

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“But never anything like what happened this time,” he said.

On May 2, he pulled over a suspicious vehicle and trailer. When the officer approached, he smelled marijuana coming from the pickup. Mathews called for backup, and the situation escalated.

“He started reaching under the seats,” Mathews said. “We gave him verbal commands to stop. We asked him to exit the vehicle and he became very angry and irate.”

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There was a foot chase and a scuffle, and Mathews was pushed to the ground.

The suspect’s vehicle began to roll forward, with the trailer heading straight for Mathews.

“Causing the tire to go on top of me,” he said. “The weight of a fully loaded trailer was on my chest. In the video, you can hear gasping. That gasping is me trying to get my air.”

Miraculously, Mathews escaped. He credits his protective vest and adrenaline for his strength. He caught up with the other officer and handcuffed the suspect.

Carlos Miller was arrested and faces multiple charges. Mathews said he was also in possession of a gun and a knife located under the seat where he was reaching.

“I suffered a fracture in my back from the trailer going over me,” he said “Also, a lot of muscle damage to the majority of my body. It hurts to move pretty much anywhere.”

He pushes through and bares the pain, and a walker is necessary. But even then, he’s thankful.

“Things could’ve been much worse,” Mathews said. “We are happy it didn’t come to that point.”

Mathews said he realizes it will be a long road to recovery but can’t wait to return to the job he loves – protecting and serving the people of Belle Isle.

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