HOPKINTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a tractor-trailer that struck a state police lieutenant as he stood outside his cruiser on Interstate 495 northbound in Hopkinton on Wednesday morning.
The lieutenant, who is the commander of the state police Traffic Programs Section, was traveling in an unmarked cruiser when he saw a different tractor-trailer that was ahead of him pull into the breakdown lane for a smoking tire, according to state police.
He activated his blue lights and pulled behind the tractor-trailer to protect it and to render assistance.
As the lieutenant got out of his cruiser, he noticed a second tractor-trailer oncoming in the breakdown lane and rapidly approaching him, state police said.
That tractor-trailer suddenly attempted to pull back into the right travel lane.
The truck’s cab just missed hitting the lieutenant but the trailer did not clear the lieutenant, who was standing up against the driver’s side of his cruiser, state police said.
The trailer, which was traveling at highway speed, hit the lieutenant, spinning him and pushing him into the passenger side of the cruiser, state police added.
He suffered injuries to his arms and hands.
The trailer did not strike the cruiser, which sustained damage to the rear driver’s side door due to the lieutenant being pushed into it, according to state police.
The lieutenant radioed to inform state police that he had been struck while a good Samaritan and the other tractor-trailer driver offered their assistance.
He has since been released from the hospital and will be on injured leave.
The tractor-trailer that struck the lieutenant did not stay at the scene, state police said.
The tractor-trailer is described to be a Freightliner with a blue cab and a white trailer with a model year believed to be from 1998 to 2001.
Anyone with information is asked to call State Police-Charlton Barracks at 508-721-4040.
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