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A Chatham-Kent detective constable remains in hospital in serious but stable condition after a tractor-trailer rammed into his unmarked cruiser during an unrelated traffic stop on Highway 401 in Essex County Wednesday evening.
Det.-Const. Nelson Das Neves received injuries only described as non-life threatening.
His partner, Det.-Const. Kirk Early was treated and released from hospital, Essex OPP reported Thursday afternoon.
The officers were the only two people injured when a tractor-trailer drove onto the shoulder and struck the cruiser, the OPP said.
The pair were conducting a police investigation that exemplifies the dangers of what could be conceived as a routine traffic stop, CKPS deputy Chief Gary Conn told The Chatham Daily News.
"Any traffic stop is a dangerous element ... even when you are pulled over to the side of the road, cars are going by you," Conn said.
Emergency services were called to the eastbound lanes, just east of the Comber exit at about 6:30 p.m., Essex OPP Const. Joe Meloche said.
Conn declined to give details why the detectives had initiated a traffic stop on the eastbound lanes just outside Chatham-Kent.
"They were conducting a traffic stop and the tractor-trailer hit our vehicle parked behind the vehicle they had stopped, and thankfully that vehicle bore the brunt of most of the force, however our officers were still clipped," Conn said.
The Chatham-Kent detectives were speaking to the driver of the stopped vehicle on the shoulder of the highway when a tractor-trailer slammed into the rear of the unmarked police vehicle causing extensive damage, Meloche said.
The collision crumpled the rear bumper and driver side rear quarter panel of the police vehicle and propelled the unmarked cruiser into the ditch.
It's the kind of collision that reinforces training to keep officers safe during traffic stops, especially on major highways.
"The sheer speed of the vehicles, even normal size a 2,000 pound to 3,000 pound object is amplified with higher speeds, so any traffic stop is a dangerous situation, certainly as the speeds increase it can become that much more of a dangerous situation," Conn said.
"What we try to do is offset it, (cruiser) so it provides a safety lane."
Meloche said the eastbound lanes between Tilbury and the Comber exit were closed for several hours as the OPP investigated the collision.
No one from the vehicle stopped by Chatham-Kent police was arrested or charged.
The truck driver, Parminder Singh Dhanqa, 30, of Brampton has been charged with careless driving.
Conn said he didn't know how long the Chatham-Kent officer may remain in hospital and he is thankful his injuries are not life-threatening.
"It was a long night."
vicki.gough@sunmedia.ca
Twitter.com/DailyNewsVG
Det.-Const. Nelson Das Neves received injuries only described as non-life threatening.
His partner, Det.-Const. Kirk Early was treated and released from hospital, Essex OPP reported Thursday afternoon.
The officers were the only two people injured when a tractor-trailer drove onto the shoulder and struck the cruiser, the OPP said.
The pair were conducting a police investigation that exemplifies the dangers of what could be conceived as a routine traffic stop, CKPS deputy Chief Gary Conn told The Chatham Daily News.
"Any traffic stop is a dangerous element ... even when you are pulled over to the side of the road, cars are going by you," Conn said.
Emergency services were called to the eastbound lanes, just east of the Comber exit at about 6:30 p.m., Essex OPP Const. Joe Meloche said.
Conn declined to give details why the detectives had initiated a traffic stop on the eastbound lanes just outside Chatham-Kent.
"They were conducting a traffic stop and the tractor-trailer hit our vehicle parked behind the vehicle they had stopped, and thankfully that vehicle bore the brunt of most of the force, however our officers were still clipped," Conn said.
The Chatham-Kent detectives were speaking to the driver of the stopped vehicle on the shoulder of the highway when a tractor-trailer slammed into the rear of the unmarked police vehicle causing extensive damage, Meloche said.
The collision crumpled the rear bumper and driver side rear quarter panel of the police vehicle and propelled the unmarked cruiser into the ditch.
It's the kind of collision that reinforces training to keep officers safe during traffic stops, especially on major highways.
"The sheer speed of the vehicles, even normal size a 2,000 pound to 3,000 pound object is amplified with higher speeds, so any traffic stop is a dangerous situation, certainly as the speeds increase it can become that much more of a dangerous situation," Conn said.
"What we try to do is offset it, (cruiser) so it provides a safety lane."
Meloche said the eastbound lanes between Tilbury and the Comber exit were closed for several hours as the OPP investigated the collision.
No one from the vehicle stopped by Chatham-Kent police was arrested or charged.
The truck driver, Parminder Singh Dhanqa, 30, of Brampton has been charged with careless driving.
Conn said he didn't know how long the Chatham-Kent officer may remain in hospital and he is thankful his injuries are not life-threatening.
"It was a long night."
vicki.gough@sunmedia.ca
Twitter.com/DailyNewsVG