WEST JORDAN — A West Jordan motorcycle officer was treated at a hospital Wednesday for injuries he suffered in a crash, possibly while lane filtering.
About 11:30 a.m., two officers on motorcycles were headed east on 9000 South and approaching the intersection at Bangerter Highway.
Jenny Perfili was waiting behind a Toyota Sequoia to turn left when the traffic light changed and the vehicles waiting to turn left began to move.
"I believe that the officer was tying to lane filter. But I think with her going and the size of her Sequoia and the size of his bike, he ran into her," Perfili said.
That knocked the officer off-balance and he tried to regain control of his wobbling motorcycle, she said.
"He was trying gain control of it, then it kind of fish-tailed into the car that was waiting to go straight that was stopped," Perfili said.
That's when she said the officer hit the pavement right in front of her car.
Perfili backed her car up, then got out to help the officer. She said the officer's head and face hit the pavement, but fortunately he was wearing a "big helmet." But the officer was knocked unconscious at first, she said.
The officer had blood coming from his mouth, one of his sunglass lenses was knocked out and his badge was across the road, she said. When the officer began to come to, he asked her to call his wife, though Perfili said she didn't know who his wife was.
The officer then said he was hot, which Perfili took as an indication that the pavement was hot, so she got an umbrella from her car.
Perfili, who used to be a medical assistant, held the officer's hand and told him to stay still, but also stay awake as she kept talking to him. The officer's partner, who was in front of him, by that time had turned around and other officers in the area responded to the call of "officer down."
Police could not confirm Wednesday if the officers were lane filtering and noted that the investigation into the crash would be conducted by South Jordan police.
Likewise, West Jordan Police Sgt. JC Holt could not say Wednesday exactly what type of injuries the officer sustained, but said they were not life threatening. The officer, whose name was not immediately released, has been with West Jordan police for several years, Holt said.
Lane filtering became legal in Utah about a month ago. The law allows for motorcyclists to ride between lanes when cars are stopped in front of them. It is allowed on roads where the posted speed limit is 45 mph or under, there are two lanes going in each direction and all vehicles are stopped. Then, motorcyclists are only allowed to travel at a speed of 15 mph or slower.
Perfili said she knew it was a good sign when the officer was taken away in an ambulance and not a medical helicopter. But it was still a bit shocking to see the crash happen in front of her.
"Well, I didn't need any coffee today," she said with a laugh. "I was still kind of shaken up. I was really glad I was paying full attention and didn't run over him. And I hope he makes a speedy recovery."