Train Tracks

Chilling body cam footage shows the moment a Georgia police officer was hit by a train as he chased a burglary suspect. The officer was so engrossed in apprehending the suspect that he did not realize just how close to the railroad tracks he was.

Officer Was Chasing a Suspect as the Train Approached

The New York Post reported that the incident occurred on January 7, when Polk County Officer Andy Anderson responded to a report of a burglary at a residence near the railroad tracks.

Officer Anderson walking along the tracks when he caught sight of a man carrying a television set. A train was barreling towards Anderson as he radioed for backup.

He stepped off the tracks in time but wrongly assumed that he was out of the path of the train as his focus returned to the fleeing suspect.

Unfortunately for Officer Anderson, however, he was still standing too close to the tracks.

The train barreled into the officer, hurling him to the ground and into the brush next to the tracks. The officer was then rushed to Redmond Regional Hospital in Rome, Georgia with numerous broken bones. He was released, thankfully, this past Sunday evening.

You can watch Officer Anderson’s body cam footage of the train below.

“It Just Sends Chills Up Your Spine”

“It just sends chills up your spine,” Police Chief Kenny Dodd said to FOX 5 Atlanta. “That’s a prime example of tunnel vision. It’s real. He was so focused on the man getting away he forgot about the danger around him and didn’t step far enough off the tracks.”

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Dodd added that his department had just started using the body camera from Blue Line Innovations a few months ago, explaining that they capture every angle that investigators could possibly need.

“He’s able to talk and communicate and cut up with us a little bit,” Dodd added of Anderson. “He’s in good spirits.”

Dodd went on to say that Anderson started feeling even better when Governor Brian Kemp called impersonally to say he was praying for him.

“It brought Andy’s spirits up and ours too. It’s great to have a governor who cares about law enforcement,” Dodd said. “He said he cared for all of us and prayed for all of us.”

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Officer Anderson Feels Lucky To Be Alive

Even Officer Anderson himself could not believe his eyes when he saw the harrowing body cam footage.

“When Andy saw the video, he told me he was lucky to be alive,” Dodd concluded. “And I told him, yeah, the good Lord was looking out for you that day.”

This just serves as an important reminder of the many sacrifices police officers make for us when they put their lives on the line for us every day.

Please keep all American police officers and first responders in your thoughts and prayers!

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