NORTHAMPTON — A Northampton detective was injured Wednesday morning and taken to the hospital after he was struck by a sport utility vehicle while standing outside his cruiser during a traffic stop on New South Street.
A 61-year-old Easthampton man who was driving the SUV — a black Hummer H3 — was arrested at the scene for operating under the influence of drugs as well as other charges, according to police, who declined to name the driver until their investigation is complete. The driver, who was being held Wednesday, is expected to be arraigned in Northampton District Court Thursday.
Northampton Detective Brendan McKinney was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and police reported that his injuries are not life-threatening. He was treated and released from the hospital on Wednesday, according to Keith O’Connor, a hospital spokesman.
McKinney has worked for the NPD since 2012 and been a detective since November 2015.
According to police, McKinney was conducting a traffic stop of a Verucci scooter shortly before 9:30 a.m. A second officer came to assist with the stop before the Hummer hit McKinney from behind. McKinney was initially treated by police and members of the Northampton Fire Rescue before being transported to Baystate.
“These sorts of incidents are always a reminder of the dangers of our jobs,” Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper said. “We do everything we can to prepare for these sorts of things … We believe everything was done correctly, obviously an impaired operator is unavoidable.”
In addition to striking McKinney, the Hummer struck an SUV police cruiser, which was dented on the driver-side door with a black streak and a bent side-view mirror. Another side-view mirror was on the ground, seemingly from the Hummer, which was missing a mirror on its passenger side.
The incident closed one lane of New South Street, causing slowed traffic in the neighborhood for several hours on Wednesday while a half-dozen police cruisers congregated at the crash scene.
The Verucci scooter and an unmarked silver car with blue flashing lights were marked with white spray paint by investigators at the scene. Police also marked the locations of the side-view mirror, a shoe and a third item on the ground.
The incident is the second time in about seven months that a Northampton police officer has been struck by an impaired driver while conducting a traffic stop.
Officer John Perry suffered minor injuries in December 2016 when his cruiser was struck from behind by an impaired driver on the Calvin Coolidge Bridge.
“We do everything we can to make them safe,” Kasper said. “Our department spends a lot of time identifying and arresting drunk drivers. People continue to make poor choices and put themselves behind the wheel when they shouldn’t be.”
Kasper said Wednesday morning’s incident was avoidable had the driver made a different decision.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.