An in-car video system has helped a Texas law enforcement agency piece together the details of the harrowing encounter of one of its sergeants, who parked his patrol car on a bridge to help a stranded motorist change a tire.
Sgt. Matthew Davidson was grazed by a 200-pound wheel that broke free from an 18-wheel big rig, as he watched a motorist change the tire of his pickup truck alongside the Fred Hartman Bridge east of Houston. The bridge carries travelers between La Porte and Baytown.
Davidson is counting his blessings, because the tire only scuffed his duty pistol and ripped a screw out of his holster, despite travelling at 60 mph.
Here's the video:
"First chance I got when I left the scene, I pulled my patrol car over and said a little prayer for the protection; said a little thank you prayer," said Sgt. Davidson. "Call it divine intervention, it just wasn't my time."
Safety Vision provided the in-car video system used by the Harris County Precinct 8 Constable's Office in Davidson's patrol car. The company's PatrolRecorder 4C RHD police mobile digital video recorder (MDVR) captured the near-miss with the runaway tire.
The system has integrated GPS mapping with speed tracking and recording, and it stores data on a removable mobile-rated hard drive. Safety Vision's SafetyNet Central Management System and SafetyView PRO video viewing software supplement this MDVR, providing wireless video transfer.
Houston's ABC affiliate KTRK Channel 13 produced the news report of the event.
