JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville police officer was rushed to the hospital Tuesday night after his cruiser was hit head-on by another car, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
The crash happened near the intersection of Perry and 8th streets. There was a large police presence at the scene.
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Police said the driver of a Cadillac was heading into oncoming traffic with no headlights on. A police officer who saw the car flashed his blue lights at the driver, but the driver continued onward.
When the driver got to Perry Street, he crashed head-on into another officer's cruiser at a high rate of speed, police said. The officer was taken to UF Health hospital with serious injuries. Authorities said he had injuries to his legs.
Two people who were inside the Cadillac were taken into custody, according to JSO, and were not injured.
Officers were conducting Operation Safe streets when the pursuit began. In 2006, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office launched the initiative, which was designed to prevent murders in Jacksonville. The initiative is being led by the Violent Crimes Task Force and focuses on illegal guns, violent criminals and geographic areas with disproportionate rates of violent crime.