A New York City police officer attempted to take a dirt bike involved in an alleged reckless-riding case back to the precinct, but ended up crashing the vehicle when he lost control this past weekend.
Cell phone video caught the officer on the bike taking off through an intersection at what appears to be a red light — and doing so while not wearing a helmet.
As he gets to the other side, a vehicle is seen pulling into the intersection from the right of the camera, prompting the officer to swerve out of the way before falling over onto the road.
The bike then ends up against a car waiting at the stop light on the opposite side.
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Video then shows the officer getting up off the ground and walking over to the bike, as other officers check on him.
Police told CBS-affiliate WLNY that prior to the incident, a man had allegedly been seen recklessly riding the bike.
When they attempted to stop the man, he fled, leaving the bike behind. Police have yet to locate the individual.
The New York Police Department patrol guide says officers can ride confiscated vehicles to return them to precinct.
“That’s how you bring the bikes back if you don’t have a trailer to put them on,” a police source told the New York Post. “You can’t leave them in the street.”
Some residents, however, questioned the decision by the officer.
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“Why would that cop endanger himself?” asked resident Carl Barely.
“He endangered that person that was walking across the street. He endangered the person in the car that almost hit him.”
It’s illegal to ride dirt bikes on city streets in New York, as they are only certified for off-road use, according to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.
Following the incident, the officer was treated at an area hospital for injuries.
An internal review has been launched into the incident.
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