Traffic homicide officer said he thought he was going to die
Click Orlando
By Nadeen Yanes - Reporter
May 03, 2017
COCOA, Fla. - A Cocoa police officer injured in a hit-and-run crash this week told News 6 he saw the Jeep coming and had three options: he could go left into oncoming traffic, go right into the procession, but he went straight and sacrificed himself.
"I had about, I would say, about three seconds to respond," Cocoa police Officer Rickford Leitch said.
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UPDATE
Arrest made in hit-and-run that injured Cocoa Officer
Cocoa officer injured in hit-and-run during Traveling Wall procession
FLORIDA TODAY
J.D. Gallop
April 30, 2017
A Cocoa police traffic officer is recovering Sunday afternoon after authorities said he collided with another vehicle during the annual procession escorting the Traveling Vietnam Wall to Melbourne.
A countywide alert was also issued for the driver of a blue Jeep Cherokee who was not a part of the escort but fled the scene moments after the collision left the officer briefly unconscious, officials reported.
The officer is currently in the hospital being evaluated after sustaining several injuries, according to Yvonne Martinez, spokeswoman for the Cocoa Police Department.
Police said Cocoa Police Officer Rickford Lietch was assisting with the escort along with several other police agencies when the incident happened. The procession of over 1,000 motorcycles and other vehicles had just cleared State Road 520 when Lietch headed toward the next intersection at Rosa Jones Boulevard.
The officer was traveling at 50 mph hour when a blue Jeep suddenly pulled in front of him. “He hit the driver’s side of the Jeep and flipped several times before landing on the pavement. He was briefly knocked out,” Martinez said.
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Please keep Officer Lietch in your prayers as he recovers. Just stunning a thing like this would happen with a 1,000 motorcycles escorting The Wall!
This turtle showed up crossing the road just before the bikes pulled in.
Murray was trying to figure out what it was.
Stickers from inside a golf cart we borrowed from a friend and yes, Murray got a ride on it.
The video will be up by tomorrow, so check back. Until then, go to the above link at Florida Today for the video they did.
UPDATE...Video finally done!
