ORANGE — A police officer was struck by a car while responding to a smoking vehicle on Marsh Hill Road Thursday night.
The Orange Police Department says the officer was responding to a possible car fire just after 10 p.m. He stopped behind the disabled vehicle in the center lane, near the Outback Steakhouse, and as he approached the car on the driver’s side, he was struck by a car traveling southbound in the left-hand turn lane.
The officer suffered lower extremity injuries and was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital. He was conscious and alert at both the scene and hospital and his injuries are not life-threatening.
The driver stopped immediately and is cooperating with investigators. Marsh Hill Road was closed for several hours for the investigation but has reopened.
Orange Police say Connecticut State Police have taken over the investigation.