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When a 92-year-old driver started heading south in the northbound lanes of a major state highway, a State Police officer accelerated past him and placed his cruiser in front of the man’s vehicle before the man hit another driver.
The officer, Justin Davis, is being praised for his willingness to put himself in harm’s way. The elderly driver, David Montoya, had asked the officer for directions to Albuquerque but then mistakenly set off south in the northbound lanes of U.S. 550 near mile marker 47 around 11 p.m. Thursday, according to a State Police news release.
Davis took “immediate action,” according to the release, positioning his vehicle in front of the elderly driver’s and slowing him down. Montoya rear-ended Davis’ cruiser, and the officer braked in order to bring him to a complete stop.
When Montoya still tried to drive away, the officer got out of his car and reached into Montoya’s car and remove the keys from the ignition.
Montoya was taken to the hospital for undisclosed medical reasons. Later, Davis drove himself to a Sandoval County hospital to be treated for neck pain.
“This is an excellent example of professionalism and heroism,” State Police Capt. Robert Miller said in the release. “Officer Davis protected lives of innocent people while placing himself in the direct path of harm’s way.”
— This article appeared on page C1 of the Albuquerque Journal
