JONES COUNTY – A Jones County Sheriff’s Department sergeant was injured Tuesday after a pickup truck struck the driver’s side of his patrol cruiser on Highway 15 North.
The crash happened just north of Parker Drive as Sgt. Darren McCraw was traveling north. Authorities said a Ford F-150 pulled from a parking lot, crossed several lanes and struck the cruiser’s driver-side door.
McCraw became trapped inside the vehicle and was freed by Laurel firefighters using hydraulic rescue equipment.
He suffered injuries that appeared to be non-life-threatening and was taken by ambulance to South Central Regional Medical Center for treatment.
The pickup’s driver was taken into custody by Laurel police and transported to department headquarters as part of the investigation.
Authorities were working to verify reports that the driver did not have a valid license and that the truck was uninsured. The driver’s identity had not been released.
The crash blocked one northbound lane and one southbound lane of Highway 15 North as emergency crews responded.
The Laurel Police Department is investigating because the crash occurred within city limits and involved a county patrol vehicle.
