Motorcycle officer injured after colliding with SUV

HIALEAH, Fla. (WSVN) -- A City of Hialeah motorcycle police officer has been hospitalized after he collided with a sport utility vehicle Monday morning.

The collision caused the motorcycle to burst into flames, but the officer was ejected into the street before the flames could burn him. "He flew through the air," said one witness on the scene.

Another witness caught the flaming wreck burning in the street. "After the accident, the motorcycle was engulfed in flames," said Hialeah Police spokesman Eddie Rodriguez.

Rescue crews airlifted the officer-- later identified only as a 30-year-old who is a nine-year veteran of the Hialeah Police force-- to Jackson Memorial Hospital in serious condition.

The accident happened on Palm Avenue and 41st Street, just after 10 a.m. Officials had to close the roadway between 41st and 45th Streets for several hours as the investigation continued into the afternoon. That section Palm Avenue has since re-opened and the accident scene cleared.

Police said the motorcycle officer was riding on Palm Avenue when he somehow crashed into the rear passenger-side of the SUV. Mary Alvarez, who works in the area, said she saw the officer moments before impact. "I saw these two motorcycle cops, they were running with the two lights on," she said, "and then there was this gray [Ford] Explorer turning left, and it just exploded."

Rodriguez said investigators hope to interview several witnesses throughout the day. "This occurred right here, in broad daylight on Palm Avenue and 41st Street," he said, "so there are plenty of witnesses outside that saw what happened and even some people that came to aid and tried to render help."

Rodriguez added that the motorcycle officer was the only person injured in the collision.

According to police, the officer was on duty at the time of the crash. Witnesses said they heard the officer's siren just before impact.

The injured officer's identity has not been released, and his condition remains unknown.

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