UPDATE
: Bridgeport Police spokesman Bill Kaempffer provides additional details:
Two officers were recovering from injuries suffered when a fleeing car broadsided their marked cruiser Tuesday evening.
Officer Roderick Doda, a 10-year veteran, and Officer Eric Schneider, who has been on the force for 20 months, both were hospitalized at St. Vincent’s overnight. Doda was admitted to intensive care for observation late Tuesday with head and neck injuries. Schneider suffered a laceration to his head and other injuries.
Police also identified the two occupants of the fleeing car: The driver was Josue Jimenez, 18, of Bridgeport. In the accident, he suffered facial injuries and an injury to his right leg.
His passenger Antonio Lostaunau, 21, of Bridgeport, had injuries to his left leg. He was issued a misdemeanor summons at the hospital for interfering with police and failure to wear a seatbelt.
Jimenez is expected to be charged by warrant after the investigation by the police department’s traffic division.
Police were responding to the 400 block of Wood Street Tuesday evening on an unrelated call when officers encountered a silver Honda traveling at an extremely high rate of speed. Police tried to catch up to it but the car continued to accelerate, running traffic lights and stop signs.
After several turns and multiple violations, the car ended up on Park Avenue northbound. Doda and Schneider were traveling southbound to assist the other officers when the Honda collided with the cruiser. Both vehicles sustained heavy damage.
Lostaunau attempted to flee and lunged at officers before he was handcuffed.
