A Brunswick police officer was injured and his cruiser damaged after a motorist struck the parked vehicle during the snowstorm Tuesday evening.

A Brunswick police officer was injured Tuesday when his parked cruiser was hit from behind by a car on Route 1.

Sgt. Ed Yurek had pulled his cruiser to the side of Route 1 to assist a driver whose motor vehicle slid into the median.

The cruiser’s emergency lights were activated and the 2018 Ford Explorer was positioned at an angle to protect the disabled vehicle. Yurek was sitting in the cruiser waiting for a tow truck to arrive.

But a driver going north on the inside lane failed to move over and struck the rear of the cruiser, according to a news release posted on the Brunswick Police Department’s Facebook page. The cruiser was heavily damaged.

“The officer and an occupant from the offending vehicle were taken to the hospital for further evaluation,” the post said. “Maine has a move over law for a reason! Safety starts with each driver and we must all be aware of what lies ahead of us.”

Maine’s move over law requires that a driver slow down to a reasonable speed and pull into an adjacent lane, if it is safe to do so, when approaching a parked emergency vehicle.

Brunswick police on Wednesday evening said that Yurek was released from the hospital and was at home recovering from his injuries.

There was no additional information available on the identity of the other driver, or whether any charges had been filed against that person. The driver of the disabled vehicle was not hurt.


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