318/673-6932
Officer to receive state’s Saved by the Belt Award
A Shreveport Police Officer whose patrol car was hit by a drunk driver last October will receive the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission’s Saved by the Belt Award on Friday.
Officer Daniel Sawyer has been selected to receive the award, because the seat belt he was wearing at the time of the crash saved his life.
On Oct. 5, Officer Sawyer was sitting in his parked patrol vehicle on Interstate 220 with his overhead lights turned on. He was assisting with traffic caused from another accident.
While he sat there, he was struck from behind by a drunk driver going slightly more than 70 miles per hour. Witnesses said the driver never hit his brakes.
Officer Sawyer’s car spun around and bounced off of a passing 18-wheeler. The seatbelt he was wearing kept him in the vehicle, and Officer Sawyer believes it ultimately saved his life.
The award will be presented to Officer Sawyer at 3:30 p.m. Friday in the Police Chief’s Conference Room, located on the first floor of the Shreveport Police Department.