A police officer in Tennessee is in critical condition following a collision between two law enforcement vehicles Friday night while they were escorting Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade near Maryville.
The crash, which occurred approximately 17 miles south of Knoxville, involved a Tennessee state trooper and a Maryville Police Department motorcycle officer, according to a statement released by the City of Maryville. Both officers were part of the security detail facilitating the Vice President’s movements for a fundraiser at the Blackberry Farm resort in Walland.
One of the ambulances assigned to the motorcade immediately stopped at the scene to provide aid to the injured officers. The Maryville Police Department motorcycle officer was transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center and remains in critical condition.
While initial reports suggested only the motorcycle officer was transported, the city later clarified that both the state trooper and the motorcycle officer were taken to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. The condition of the trooper has not been released, and neither officer has been publicly identified.
Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp issued a statement asking the community for support. “We ask everyone to keep the officer, family and the medical staff in your prayers,” the chief said.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the collision.
The Secret Service confirmed that the incident did not impact the Vice President’s travel plans. Katherine Pierce, the Secret Service’s resident agent in charge in Knoxville, stated that the agency was monitoring the situation, but stressed, “The safety and movement of our protectees were not impacted by this incident.”
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