FORT WORTH, Texas — Two Fort Worth police officers were taken to a hospital after a jack-knifing 18-wheeler struck a patrol vehicle on Interstate 20 early Thursday, officials said.
The incident happened around 2:30 a.m. in the 8900 block of Interstate 20, at I-20 and West Loop 820 in southwest Fort Worth.
Officers were responding to a crash when they stopped to check on two vehicles, police said. Their patrol vehicle was then hit by an 18-wheeler's trailer as the truck was jack-knifing.
One officer was in the patrol vehicle when the crash happened. He was able to get out of the vehicle to avoid getting hit by a second 18-wheeler.
Him and the other officer fled onto a median to avoid getting hit by a third 18-wheeler.
Both officers were taken to a hospital for treatment and were released with minor injuries.
On Thursday afternoon--Fort Worth Police allowed members of the media to see the patrol car that was struck three times by multiple semi-trucks.
The only part of the car not damaged was miraculously the area surrounding the driver's seat--which is where that officer was sitting when the first semi struck his car.
Officer Buddy Calzada told WFAA that both officers stayed on scene after the cascading crashes to serve despite the scare and suffering minor injuries.
"We can't tell our patrol officers to stay off the roadways--they have to be out there helping people," Calzada said.
"It's literally a miracle that these guys are alive."
"To keep moving forward--to help our citizens--these guys are heroes."
More information on the crash was not immediately available.