Officer sustains injuries in collision while pursuing speeder

A Glendale Police motorcycle officer sustained abrasions and a fractured wrist Thursday evening after he collided with a vehicle in pursuit of a speeding motorist, a department spokesman said.

The collision occurred about 5:35 p.m. when Officer Artur Obrunsik, a five-year veteran, attempted to pass a vehicle on the left while pursuing a speeding motorist northbound on Grandview Avenue above Kenneth, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

As Obrunsik attempted to pass, the driver of the vehicle made a left turn into a driveway, and the officer crashed into the side of the car despite braking, Lorenz said. Obrunsik was thrown down off the bike and suffered multiple lacerations and abrasions, including a hairline fracture to a wrist.

The speeding vehicle got away in the process, Lorenz added. The driver of the first vehicle was not injured.

No lights or siren had been activated, but it was unclear if a turn signal was used when the car turned, Lorenz said.

An average of one traffic accident occurs wach year among the city’s motorbike officers, some more serious than others, Lorenz said.

“Being on a motorbike, you’re far more exposed to the elements of traffic,” Lorenz said. “It’s extremely dangerous.”