Houston police officer hit by van along South Loop onramp

A Houston Police Department officer was injured Wednesday after being struck by an oncoming vehicle along the South Loop Access Road.

The 26-year veteran of the department had gotten out of his cruiser to flag down an oncoming pickup truck around 2 p.m., police spokesman John Cannon said. The officer was monitoring the speed of passing vehicles when the driver traveling eastbound on the service road inadvertently struck him.

The driver, a 55-year-old man, told authorities he was unable to stop the vehicle in time to avoid hitting the officer. Cannon said the man will be ticketed but has not been charged.

The officer was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.