SEBRING, Fla. — One police officer was sent to the hospital overnight on Thanksgiving after an accused drunk driver rear-ended him, the Sebring Police Department said.
Police are using this dangerous situation to remind people not to drink and drive. The day before Thanksgiving, often known as "Blackout Wednesday," is one of the year's most dangerous nights for drivers, the department said.
Around 1 a.m. Thursday, Sebring Officer Earle was working a traffic stop on Kenilworth Boulevard and was sitting in his patrol SUV when an alleged drunk driver crashed into the back of his patrol car.
Officer Earle was reportedly taken to the hospital for evaluation but the agency said it is "very THANKFUL" to report that he has since returned home to be with his family.
"We are very aware that this outcome could've been very different for Officer Earle and his family," police said on Facebook. "The holidays are no time to lose a loved one to drunk driving."
Photos shared by the department appear to show the driver who crashed into the officer being arrested after the crash.
