Nuggets championship parade: Police officer hit by fire truck, suffers 'very significant' lower leg injury
The injury could potentially result in Sgt. Justin Dodge losing his leg
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1 min read
A Denver police officer was seriously injured during the Denver Nuggets' NBA Championship parade while trying to keep paradegoers safe from a fire truck carrying Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
As reported by CBS News, Sgt. Justin Dodge is a veteran police officer assigned to the SWAT team and has been with the Denver Police Department since 1997. He was hit by a fire truck that was rounding a corner at 13th and Cherokee Street, near the end of the parade route. People got excited seeing Jokic and Murray with the Larry O'Brien trophy and began swarming the vehicle instead of standing safely behind the barriers.
Dodge was trying to protect people who had gone onto the street and ended up being too close to the fire truck, which resulted in the truck rolling over his left leg. He then got stuck and suffered a "very significant" lower leg injury.
Alert: A DPD officer was struck by a fire truck near the end of the parade route at W. 13th Ave/Cherokee St. The officer was transported to the hospital with serious injuries and the crash is under investigation. Updates posted as available. pic.twitter.com/IIyD0xIBeF
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) June 15, 2023
The players got off the fire truck after the incident and were put in a SWAT vehicle to finish their ride to Civic Center Park for the championship parade.
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Larry OB delivered via armored truck to the @nuggets championship rally #Denver7 pic.twitter.com/Vt4XcBmML8
— Nick Rothschild (@nick_rothschild) June 15, 2023
Dodge was quickly transported to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. According to Steven Wolf, the director of emergency medicine at Denver Health, he could potentially lose his leg.
"As of right now, we can't say what the outcome will be, we are doing everything possible to preserve the limb," Wolf said.
