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A Bellevue, Washington, motorcycle police officer assigned to a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris was injured Tuesday when he fell about 50 feet from a highway on-ramp in Seattle, police said.
The 39-year-old officer suffered what were described as serious injuries, but the police department said he was conscious and speaking before he was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The officer fell 50 to 60 feet from an on-ramp onto Interstate 5 below, the police department said.
The Washington State Patrol is investigating.
“Somehow, by the grace of God, he was not struck” after the fall, Meeghan Black, a Bellevue police spokesperson, told The Seattle Times. “We are just very, very thankful that he is in as good a condition as he is.”
Harris spoke with Bellevue’s police chief, Wendell Shirley, on Tuesday to check on the injured officer and extend support to him and his family, a person familiar with the call said.
The U.S. Secret Service also released a statement on the accident, saying, “Our prayers are with the motor officer for a full recovery and we are so thankful this did not turn into an unthinkable tragedy.”
The Secret Service said its mission support teams assessed the officer and immediately transported him to the hospital, adding that it has been monitoring his progress and is in regular communication with Bellevue police.
Harris was in Seattle to mark the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, which, among other things, includes health care measures and provisions to encourage cleaner energy, like solar power.
Bellevue is a city just east of Seattle. The officer was on a service detail for the vice president’s visit to Seattle when the incident occurred Tuesday afternoon, Bellevue police said.
David Douglas contributed.
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