Motorcycle officer hurt in crash

A Glendale police motorcycle officer sustained cuts and a broken wrist Thursday evening after he collided with a vehicle while pursuing a speeding motorist, a department spokesman said.

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

As Obrunsik tried to pass, the vehicle made a left turn into a driveway, and the officer crashed into the left side of the car despite braking, Lorenz said. Obrunsik was thrown off the bike and suffered multiple cuts, in addition to a broken wrist that would require surgery, he added.

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 whether a turn signal had been used when the car turned left, Lorenz said.

An average of one traffic accident occurs among the city’s motorbike officers each year, Lorenz said.

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