A police officer is recovering from serious injuries after he was hit head-on by a suspected drunk driver Sunday night in Delaware, officials said. The crash happened as he was on his way to work. NBC10’s Tim Furlong has the details of the crash and an update on the officer’s condition.
A police officer has a long road to recovery but is lucky to be alive after his vehicle was struck head-on by a suspected drunk driver in Delaware over the weekend, officials said.
James Haddix, a 38-year-old Aberdeen Police Officer who resides in Newark, Delaware, was driving along the Christina Parkway in Newark around 4:30 a.m. Sunday when another vehicle slammed into his unmarked police car head-on, according to investigators.
Officials said it took first responders about 45 minutes to get Officer Haddix out of his vehicle. Paramedics gave him blood to keep him alive while rescuers worked to get him out.
“It’s a miracle that he survived this,” Aberdeen Police Chief Henry Trabert told NBC10.
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The driver of the other vehicle, 24-year-old Johnathan Hendrix of Middletown, Delaware, was arrested and charged with DUI. He’s also recovering from his own injuries.
Chief Trabert said Haddix likely has a long road to recovery but is expected to survive. Trabert told NBC10 Haddix was in and out of consciousness before surgery but was still able to tell him that he couldn’t wait to get back on patrol.
"Great cop. Army vet. Father of five,” Chief Trabert said. “We're getting such an outpour of support from the community since this has been reported."
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Haddix’s fellow officers are currently raising money for his family.
Chief Trabert also said Haddix’s own father was killed by a drunk driver when Haddix was only 7 years old. While he is upset by what happened, Chief Trabert also said Sunday’s incident was a good reminder of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
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