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State Senator Injured In Snowblower As Dog Attacked

HIGHLAND PARK (WWJ) - State Senator Bert Johnson is recovering after injuring his hand in a snowblower while he was attacked by a pit bull. It happened outside the 37-year-old Democrat's Highland Park home Monday afternoon.

WWJ Newsradio 950 got the details from legislative director Andy Mutavdzija.

"He wasn't armed with like a shovel or anything, so he went to try to get away from it, maneuver around it. He slipped, fell, his hand went into the snowblower, got caught in there," Mutavdzija said.

"He was able to kind of kick at the dog and get away from it in time to get to his truck, and he ended up actually driving himself to the Henry Ford (hospital)," he said.

Mutavdzija said, according to family members,  Johnson's hand did not detach from his body and his fingers remain intact. Johnson underwent two and a half hours of surgery and will have to undergo physical therapy.  

"He's just in pain and, you know, they've got him on some medication. He's just not feeling too well.  He hopes to get back to work by Thursday, but we won't be rushing him on that," Mutavdzija said.

Johnson said he'd never seen the dog before and didn't know if it was a neighbor's pet.  Pit bulls are illegal in Highland Park.

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