Three Columbus police motorcycles involved in two crashes Monday afternoon

Monday was a rough day for the Columbus Police Department's Motor Squad.

Three different motorcycle officers were involved in two crashes — one on Wynnton Road and the other a few miles away on Veterans Parkway — that were somewhat connected, said Lt. Clyde Dent. None of the officers were seriously injured and two of the bikes suffered minor damage, while a third one had more significant damage, Maj. Charles Kennedy said.

The chain reaction started around 1:30 p.m. when two officers were responding to a call in Midtown of an inmate who had been struck by a vehicle. The lead bike, driven by Officer Ronnie Oakes, had to check up when a vehicle pulled out in front of them, Dent said. The trailing bike, driven by Officer Dallas Willis, could not stop in time and ran into the first bike. One of the officers suffered minor injuries, Dent said.

There was a Columbus city garbage truck stopped not far from the wreck. The city garbage trucks are staffed by inmates from the Muscogee County Prison. There was no word on the condition of the inmate.

The call went out over the police radio of the wreck and an officer near River Road and Veterans Parkway responded. He had lights flashing and was turning onto Hamilton Road when a vehicle suddenly changed lanes, Dent said. The officer took evasive action and ended up running into the back of a truck, Dent said.

Officer Jonathan Glover suffered a leg injury and was transported to Piedmont Columbus Regional's midtown campus, where he was treated. The motorcycle that Glover was riding was the most seriously damaged of the three.

This story was originally published July 9, 2018 at 5:59 PM.