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Dec 3, 2008 7:20 pm US/Eastern
NJ Sheriff's Deputy Clings To Life After Crash
Chris Coon Seriously Injured During High-Speed Chase
By JOSH LANDIS CBS 2
ELIZABETH, N.J. (CBS) ―
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Ofc. Chris Coon was seriously injured after his unmarked vehicle was slammed into by a Jeep speeding at more than 100 mph during a high-speed police chase.
CBS
A New Jersey sheriff's deputy is clinging to life after a speeding vehicle crashed into his car during a chase. It's the second serious accident from a high-speed chase in the past two weeks.
Union County Sheriff's officers Chris Coon and James Guerrant were returning from a domestic violence call when someone allegedly fleeing the scene of another crime struck their car in Elizabeth.
The sound of the crash, say witnesses, nearly knocked them off their feet.
"I heard just a big bang. 'Bang!' And that's it," a witness told CBS 2.
The suspect's Jeep was coming up the street at more than 100 mph, and Officer Coon's was coming the other way.
"We looked out the window, the Jeep had hit what I now know is the unmarked police car," another witness said. "It looked like a train hit it pretty bad. One of the guys came out of the passenger side of the Jeep, started running. The cops were running after him."
Police arrested 31 year old Waleed Dozier, who's now being held on $500,000 bail.
It's New Jersey's second serious crash involving police chases in two weeks. Joselin Breton and her 10-year-old son Anevdy died after a crash on the night before Thanksgiving.
The attorney general's office says there are strict guidelines police must follow during chases.
"There's emotion, there's adrenalin. In a high-speed, dangerous situation there is discretion and that's when training from the academy and ongoing training should kick in," said Dr. John Paitakes of the Seton Hall Criminal Justice Department.
Investigators haven't said whether Coon was intending to join the chase in progress or whether the accident was random.
His fellow officers say what matters now is his recovery.
"We're all hoping for the best and relying on the best Chris has, an inner strength we hope is going to carry him through this" said Joseph Cryan of the Union County Sheriff's Office.
Coon isn't just part of the family of officers in Union County. He's also the stepson of Union County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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