A Shelby Township police officer is out of the hospital after an accident yesterday evening. Police say the driver that caused the crash was intoxicated.
“Fate was looking out for our officer and maybe even looking out for the knuckle-head who was driving around drunk-driving in the middle of the day,” explained Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide.
He has a hard time watching dash cam video from an officer’s patrol car who happened to be at the same intersection when the crash occurred.
“That’s the last phone call I want to get is that one of my guys or one of my ladies got hurt.”
Thursday around 6 p.m., Officer Nik Sinishtaj was responding to a call of a breaking and entering in progress.
He was at the intersection of Van Dyke and 23 Mile road when police say a drunk driver sped into the intersection.
“Extremely fast speed and then went up and hit my officer’s front end.”
The officer was taken to the hospital. He’s expected to be okay. In the video, you can see the other officer coming to their aid.
Of all officers, the chief says, the one who witnessed the crash knows a drunk driver when he sees one.
“He just won the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award for the state of Michigan for identifying the most drunk drivers here in Shelby Township.”
As for Officer Sinishtaj, he was able to get out of the patrol car okay, but he’s very shaken up.
The rookie cop has only been on the force for six months.
“He just graduated from the Macomb police academy in December, he’s 23 years old, he’s doing a great job for us.”
His patrol car is totaled and it will take them some time to get that dash cam video out.
“Basically take the car apart partially and get the computer out and get the video out.”
The chief says accidents that involve drunk drivers who are speeding usually end much worse.
“You look at the damage at the car a few more few and this could have been a fatal accident.”
The suspected drunk driver is out on bond, he’s expected in court within the next 10 days.
