OPP cruiser hit on Highway 403 in Hamilton

An Ontario Provincial Police officer suffered minor injuries when a driver hit a cruiser stopped on Highway 403 in Hamilton on Monday night .

The cruiser was stopped with its emergency lights activated on the westbound 403 near Main Street East when it was hit around 7:22 p.m. Jan. 31, said Sgt. Kerry Schmidt.

There was a disabled vehicle stopped on the right shoulder and there was an OPP officer waiting with the vehicle for a tow truck, he said. Another officer arrived and positioned the cruiser further back to give an early warning to drivers just before the bend in the highway.

That second cruiser was stopped, lights activated, partially in the narrow shoulder and partially blocking the right lane. It was this OPP cruiser hit by the oncoming vehicle.

The Burlington OPP officer was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the cruiser also suffered minor injuries but was not transported to hospital, Schmidt said.

Charges are pending.

Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com