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D.C. Police Officer Hospitalized After Being Struck by Motorist on I-695

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  December 24, 2025 12:45 PM

A D.C. police officer is in critical condition after he was struck on I-695 while helping a stranded motorist.

Journalist Nick Sotor shared a video of the scene.

Sotor also called 911 when the accident happened.

"The officer was attempting to help a disabled motorist when another vehicle plowed into him," Sotor wrote. "I called 911 as soon as it happened, hence why I have no video of the immediate aftermath. Unfortunately, I never saw the officer move."

The accident prompted a significant response from both the Metro Police and the National Guard, and law enforcement can be seen moving the injured officer into a vehicle for transport to a hospital.

The Washington Times reports that the unidentified officer is in critical condition. Still, a statement from the D.C. Police Union, which also confirmed the officer was in the First District, says the officer is in serious condition.

"We can confirm one of our members was critically injured last night when he was struck by a vehicle while assisting a driver whose vehicle had broken down in the eastbound lanes of I-695," the statement said. "The [First District] officer was transported to the hospital for treatment and remains in serious condition."

The officer was on duty assisting the stranded motorist when another car hit him "at a high rate of speed," according to several outlets.

The Washington Post reported the driver who struck the officer remained on the scene and was later taken to the hospital for treatment of "non-life-threatening" injuries. The driver's name was also not released. The stranded motorist was not hurt in the accident.

There was an outpouring of love and support for the injured officer, including from fellow law enforcement.

"Please join us in praying for this hero's healing," wrote the Glendale, Arizona Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).

"Please pray for this DC officer.  It is being reported that he was helping a disabled vehicle when it was struck.  His brethren rushed him to the hospital," said another social media user.

Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund said traffic stops and highway patrol are among the most dangerous assignments in law enforcement.

"The dangers faced by police officers working on our highways cannot be overstated. Traffic stops and roadway details remain among the most dangerous assignments in law enforcement," Sund wrote on X.

Even as law enforcement was loading the officer into a cruiser, drivers weren't paying attention or slowing down, a social media user noted. "As they're loading the cop into another cruiser, people are not paying attention to emergency lights, have the police flashing them with flashlights, jumping up and down," they wrote.

In D.C. and other cities, motorists are required by law to slow down and, when possible, move over for emergency vehicles.

This is the second incident involving law enforcement in as many days. In Delaware, a State Police trooper was killed during a shooting at a DMV, after he pushed an employee out of the way.