K9 Officer Recovering From Head-On Crash

PLANTATION (CBS4) -- A Plantation Police K-9 officer remains hospitalized Wednesday, one day after a serious head-on collision with an SUV.

Plantation police said Officer Curtis Hampton and his K-9 partner Rudi were driving eastbound on the 6900 block of West Broward Boulevard when a gold Toyota SUV driven by Anne Jean-Louis Georges, crossed over the median and into the path of Officer Hampton's patrol car. The two vehicles collided head on.

A witness who declined to give her name said the driver of the SUV was moving from one lane to another.

"The lady was driving and skipped the lane and went onto the soft shoulder and hit the cop's car," the woman said.

A black Toyota Corolla, driven by Ma Dre Fitzgerald Brown, then struck the back of the patrol car.

Officer Hampton, a 25-year veteran, was trapped inside his cruiser and rescuers had to use the jaws of life to extract him.

Hampton was airlifted to Broward General Medical Center with serious injuries. He is now listed in stable condition with multiple fractures.

Georges, the driver of the SUV, was taken to Broward General with non-life threatening injuries.

Brown was treated at Westside Regional Medical Center and released.

K-9 Rudi was taken to Hollywood Animal Hospital for treatment. He also suffered minor injuries but is expected to recover.

Plantation Police say Hampton was on duty at the time of the crash but was not on his way to an emergency call.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.