DUI Stop Lands Two Philly Officers in Hospital

Two Philadelphia Police officers are in the hospital after being hit by a pickup truck during a traffic stop early Sunday morning.

The crash happened at 1:30 a.m. along the 4200 block of Aramingo Avenue in the Frankford section of Philadelphia.

Officers Richard Hayes and George Higginson had just taken a driver into custody for allegedly driving under the influence and were searching his car when the pickup truck sideswiped the police cruiser before slamming into the stopped vehicle, police said.

"We're very fortunate that the officers weren't killed right there at the scene," Police Commissioner Charles Ramsay said.

The officers were rushed to local hospitals with face and head injuries. Officer Higginson, 25, was last listed in stable condition at Hahnemann Hospital with facial lacerations.

Officer Hayes, 28, was placed in a drug-induced coma at Aria Health's Frankford Hospital (formerly Frankford-Torresdale Hospital) because of the severe head injury he suffered. He also has two broken legs.

John Cusick, 20, of Bristol, Pa., was driving the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck that struck the officers. He ran from the scene before being apprehended, police said.

Cusick was charged with Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Assault while DUI, DUI, Simple Assault and Recklessly Endangering Another Person.

Investigators are working to determine the exact cause of the accident, but believe street racing may be involved.

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