DRIVER IGNORES BARRIER, HITS TEXAS OFFICER

A police officer working an accident scene in Northeast El Paso was struck by a vehicle, after a motorist disregarded police barricades and then fled upon being questioned by police. The driver of a 1996 Ford Ranger passed through a barricade at the site of a traffic accident at Dyer and Hondo Pass. The driver was told to leave the scene and then began acting suspiciously. An officer then asked to see the driver's license and insurance. The driver fled, striking the officer, and police pursued the Ford Ranger to the Bridge of the Americas, where the pickup struck another vehicle. Police reported that the vehicle failed to stop until it came up on traffic at the Bridge of the Americas and collided with a vehicle that was stopped. The driver, whose name was not released Thursday night, was arrested by police, who also discovered a loaded gun in his possession. Police reported that he was expected to be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.