Dashcam video: Merriam police officer scrambles as car careens his way

Merriam police want drivers to see a dramatic dashboard video that shows one of their officers nearly getting mowed down by an out-of-control car on Interstate 35.

Merriam Police Chief Mike Daniels tweeted out the video Monday as part of the first National Traffic Incident Response Week to emphasize the need for drivers to slow down or change lanes when approaching emergency vehicles on the side of the road with flashing lights.

In the video clip, which is about six seconds long, you can hear the screeching tires of the oncoming car as it spins out of control. You can see the officer turn and start to run. You can also see the officer brace to be hit by the car because there’s no place to go. At the last second, the officer jumps and the car narrowly misses him. The officer then yells back toward his car that he’s OK.

“Please give your first responders space to work,” Daniels said in the tweet. He noted that everyone involved was OK.

Maj. Darren McLaughlin said the video shows the importance of paying attention and giving his officers room to work. In this incident, police were working at a crash helping out a driver when a second crash caused by gawking or inattentive drivers almost took out the officer.

“We ask that people slow down and pay attention so that we can do our jobs and we’re not having to look over our shoulders for something else caused by someone not paying attention,” McLaughlin said.

This story was originally published November 17, 2016 at 6:00 AM.