Grand Rapids K9 seriously injured in crash with speeding vehicle

A K9 with the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) is seriously hurt after a crash early Friday morning.

Police say one of their K9 teams responded to reports of a break-in when their cruiser was hit by a speeding Jeep at Madison Avenue and Hall Street. The car was estimated to have been traveling at least 75 mph, three times above the speed limit.

We’re told the driver and four passengers ran off after the crash.

The officer was pinned and needed to be removed from the cruiser by the Grand Rapids Fire Department, according to GRPD. He was not hurt, but his 4-year-old K9, Dozer, incurred serious injuries to his rear legs, rendering them immobile. Grand Rapids Police Chief Winstrom called the injuries "catastrophic."

Dozer is currently being assessed by medical professionals in Farmington Hills.

“He and his family are really upset about the dog. We as a police family are really upset about the dog as well. It’s very important for us to identify these people. Not only for this incident, but because we can’t tolerate this activity on our city streets. It’s unacceptable," Chief Winstrom said.

The crash is still under investigation, but police say the speeding car veered toward the police cruiser before the crash. Whether alcohol was a factor in the crash remains uncertain.

“That vehicle was not on a straight path. That vehicle veered directly toward that officer,” Winstrom said.

Police are still looking for the speeding car's occupants: two males and three females. Winstrom says they took off in a getaway car, a silver Nissan Altima with a missing front bumper and no license plate. Winstrom says it's possible the driver of the car has facial injuries, which would make him easier to identify.