Driver charged with DWI in officer crash

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Tags:

durham county, local/state

DURHAM (WTVD) -- Police said a man was driving drunk when he hit a Durham police officer's cruiser Tuesday evening.

According to police, K9 Officer J.K. Meade's police cruiser was hit by a Dodge Durango in the 3300 block of Holloway Street around 8:45 p.m. The force of the impact sent the cruiser into a mailbox, through a fence, and into a tree.

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The driver of the Durango kept going, but finally pulled over about a mile from the crash scene. Police were able to arrest 20-year-old Jashua Duke Davis, of Durham. He was taken to the hospital and has been charged with driving while impaired.

Tanya Johnson said she had just pulled in to her driveway when the accident happened.

"When we ran down to see if everything was OK, is when we saw the police officer getting out of the car and he sat on the ground and then we could hear the dog barking and the police officer was trying to get the dog out," Johnson said. " I could have been involved just as easily as the officer was."

Meade was treated at a local hospital and released. His K9, Cedros, was treated at the emergency vet and has been released.