(WWJ) — A Michigan State Police trooper remains hospitalized nearly a week after being injured in a crash on I-75 involving a teen driver who fell asleep behind the wheel.
The crash happened last Wednesday night on northbound I-75 near Sashabaw after the trooper pulled a driver over for impaired driving.
The driver was “handcuffed and seat-belted in” the front passenger seat and the trooper was in the driver’s seat when the patrol car was hit from behind by a Dodge Durango, pushing it into the prisoner’s car, MSP officials said.
Initially, authorities said the trooper and prisoner both sustained lacerations to their face and were taken to the hospital, with the trooper having a possible broken arm.
On Tuesday MSP officials said in an update they have received “quite a few inquiries” on the trooper’s condition.
“We are happy to report that he remains in stable condition in a local hospital. He did sustain more extensive injuries than first thought,” MSP officials said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “He will need to spend more time recovering from these injuries. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us in support of this trooper.”
The trooper’s name was not released.
MSP officials said last week the 16-year-old driver of the Durango “drifted onto the right shoulder and struck the patrol car.” The teen was apprehended for reckless driving and released to his mother. He was uninjured and officials said speed and impairment were not considered factors in the crash.
The condition of the suspect who was in the patrol car has not been disclosed.