Detroit Police Cruiser Slammed By Suspected Drunk Driver

DETROIT (WWJ) - A suspected drunk driver is in custody after slamming into the back of a Detroit Police patrol car as the officer was conducting a traffic stop.

It happened around 2:45 a.m. Friday along Joy Road just east of the Southfield Freeway, on the city's west side.

Police say the officer had stopped a driver for a broken tail light and as he was outside of the vehicle, his patrol car was rear-ended by another vehicle. The driver in that car, a 23-year-old woman, was apparently under the influence of alcohol, according to police. She was taken into custody at the scene.

The officer was taken to the hospital as a precaution and has since been released.

Sheron Hawkins, who lives nearby, said the crash was so loud it scared him.

"I heard 'Boom! Screech! Boom!' and that was it," Hawkins told WWJ's Charlie Langton. "I jumped out, looked out here and seen lights."

The crash is the second overnight involving Detroit police and suspected drunk drivers. Around 9 p.m. Thursday, a 31-year-old man drove through a red light at Schoenherr and Eastburn and crashed into a DPD scout car, sending both officers to the hospital. Investigators say alcohol was a factor.

For the latest from the roads, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 during Traffic and Weather on the 8s, 24-hours a day. Check for recent incidents now on the CBS Detroit Traffic Page.