In a horribly ironic and just all-around odd and scary situation, Lockport Police Chief Larry Eggert was hit by a car, driven by a 19-year-old, while riding his bike home from the station. What’s ironic is the accident came just a short while after a press event where Eggert and LPD donated five bikes to the Boy Scouts.
It also came on the same day when Scott Leffler hosted Eggert on his WLVL show, and one caller mentioned he saw Eggert jogging around town recently, but didn’t want to say where he runs, in fear that someone might want to do harm to him.
Now, tonight’s accident is far from intentional, or anything even close, but it’s all just a very odd set of circumstances and coincidences for one day. But it was, by all accounts at this hour, just an accident. An investigation continues.
Plus, if my geography is correct, this happened right in front of Mayor Michael Tucker’s house. Just another odd city tidbit.
Hopefully Eggert is alright. He’s a great guy, who also writes a regular column for the US&J. We’re all hoping he’ll make a quick recovery. Here’s what public safety reporter April Amadon has:
Police chief struck by car
hief Lawrence Eggert hit while on his bike, suffers ankle injury.
BY APRIL AMADON
amadona@gnnewspaper.com
Lockport Police Chief Lawrence Eggert was injured after being struck by a car Wednesday afternoon while riding his bike home from work.
About 4:10 p.m., Eggert was off-duty, riding his bicycle on High Street near Beattie Avenue after leaving work, when he was struck by a car.
Eggert was ejected from his bicycle and landed on a lawn on Beattie Avenue.
The impact shattered the windshield of the car.
Eggert suffered an ankle injury and was conscious and alert at the scene, according to a press release from the Lockport Police Department.
He was treated at the scene and transported to Lockport Memorial Hospital by a Lockport Fire Department ambulance.
The driver of the car, a 19-year-old woman, was also taken to LMH for evaluation. Information about her condition was not available.
The accident is under investigation.
About an hour before the accident, Eggert was on hand at the police department to present five bicycles to several Boy Scouts from Troop 4. The department donated the bicycles to the Boy Scouts after holding a bike auction two weekends ago.
At the time, Eggert mentioned he’d been riding his bicycle to and from work.
After Wednesday’s city council meeting, Mayor Michael Tucker said he was heading to LMH to see how Eggert was doing.
Tucker said he’d been told Eggert underwent a CAT scan.
“I don’t think his life is in danger, but I think he is pretty banged up,” he said.
Eggert, who has been chief of police since Jan. 1, has been with the Lockport Police Department for 28 years. Along with Officer Steven Ritchie, Eggert was seriously injured during a shoot-out with a suspect in 2003.
Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.
1 Comment
July 7, 2009 at 5:27 pm
[...] For the rest of the story from the US&J – including a photo of the accident, click here. [...]