A Long Island police officer was hospitalized in the ICU following a Sunday night crash when the driver of a speeding Mustang clipped the cop and sent his cruiser flipping off the highway, according to county officials.
The police pursuit started in Brentwood around 6 p.m. when the Mustang driver reportedly raced down Westbound Long Island Expressway past the officer who was in the middle of a traffic stop, Suffolk County Police said.
The Mustang driver was allegedly driving at speeds close to 100 mph.
Officer Brendon Gallagher chased after the Mustang when its driver "sideswiped" his cruiser, causing it to flip off the road and strike a tree. First responders took 30 minutes to extricate the officer from the wreckage, during which Gallagher was reportedly bleeding badly.
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Gallagher was transported by helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital where he remained on a ventilator Monday after receiving 25 unites of blood during surgery.
Cory Fisher, the alleged driver of the Mustang, also crashed. Police said he struck a light pole and was arrested by an off-duty Nassau County Police officer who happened to be passing by at the time. Officials said Fisher had been on probation for a weapons conviction in Queens.
Fisher pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that including driving while impaired. His lawyer said the cop's aggressive actions may have contributed to the crash.
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Gallagher, an officer on the force for almost three years, was one of two cops stabbed almost exactly two years ago after responding to a menacing call at a condo complex in Medford.
