Henderson,KY : HPD officer, Union County resident injured in vehicle crash on December, Tuesday 12th 2017

Two people, including a Henderson police officer, were injured Tuesday morning in a vehicle crash at Fifth and Green streets.

Officer Bill Russell was transported to Methodist Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries, according to the Henderson County Sheriff's Office who is investigating the crash.

Also transported to the hospital was Union County resident Beth Cooper, authorities said. She also suffered nonlife-threatening injuries.

The sheriff's office said the crash occurred around 8 a.m. when an HPD cruiser driven by Austin Hatchett was traveling on Fifth Street toward the City Garage. Russell is Hatchett's training officer and was in the passenger's seat, officials said.

Deputy Chris Keller said Hatchett was stopped at the red light and when it turned green, they began traveling on Fifth Street.

Cooper was traveling north on North Green Street. She told authorities she believed she had the green light and traveled through the intersection and collided with the HPD cruiser on Russell's side of the vehicle, Keller said.

Witnesses told Keller that the Henderson police cruiser had the green light.

Cooper and Russell suffered injuries. Hatchett was reportedly uninjured.

Hospital officials said Russell was treated and released. There was no information available regarding Cooper's condition.


Russell was recently named Officer of the Month for talking a suicidal man off a bridge last month. Russell, who was off-duty, was visiting a metropolitan area with his family

Source :
HPD officer, Union County resident injured in vehicle crash