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Shelby Township officer hit by suspected drunk driver speaks out about crash

Posted at 7:11 PM, Jul 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-04 20:23:08-04

Last week we told you about an officer-involved crash in Shelby Township.

Police tell us a drunk driver drove into the patrol car at Van Dyke and 23 Mile Road on Thursday evening, while the officer was responding to a call.

Now, we speak exclusively with Officer Nik Sinishtaj for the first time since the accident.

“It’s like a scary dream that you don’t want to see again,” Sinishtaj explained. “I could’ve been killed in this accident. Thank God I wasn’t.”

Sinishtaj feels shocked when he replays this moment.

“What the heck just happened,” he said. “I was hit by this drunk driver.”

The officer was responding to a call when he approached the intersection. That’s when he says a speeding driver came crashing so fast he didn’t have time to brace himself.

“Told myself to tense up, it was already done,” he said. “My ears were ringing. My body was numb and tingling. Took me a second to find out where I was. Felt like a semi-truck that hit me.”

He showed us the damaged patrol car.

“It’s crazy the amount of force that an accident has and you won’t feel it right away, you’ll be numb,” Sinishtaj said

As soon as he was struck, he said that he instinctively jumped out of the car to go check on the other driver.

That’s when he noticed scrapes and bruises on his arms.

“Hey, I’ve gotten struck by a drunk driver and I’m still alive, it’s pretty amazing,” he said.

He called family members immediately. Sinishtaj said they are always worried about his safety in this dangerous field.

“They don’t want to bury their son,” he said. 

Sinishtaj has been a cop for only six months after graduating from the police academy in December.

He knows accidents involving drunk drivers can be fatal. Police tell us the driver of the other car failed a breathalyzer test, blowing a .18, which is double the legal limit.

“I kept telling myself ‘who is drinking at 6 o’clock in the afternoon,’” he said.

Sinishtaj hopes his story will remind viewers not to drink and drive.

“It’s not worth it,” he added. “If we don’t find you, you’ll find us, like in this case.”

The dash cam video from the officer’s patrol car has not been retrieved yet.

The alleged drunk driver is expected in court in the next couple of weeks.