A Burlington County man struck a police officer with his car, dragging her nearly 40 feet before slamming into a patrol car early Saturday morning.
A 16-year veteran with the Riverside Township Police Department, Sgt. Amaya Urtasun, responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle in the Riverside Township Elementary School Parking Lot at 120 E. Washington St around 1 a.m., according to officials.
The driver, 23-year-old Brandon Belton, became uncooperative and refused to show the officer his hands, police said. He then shifted his vehicle into drive and started to speed away, hitting Urtasun and pulling her across the lot, investigators said.
Belton swerved towards a parked vehicle, which clipped Urtasun who was then thrown to the ground, authorities said.
He continued to speed through the lot until he slammed into an unoccupied Riverside Township Police cruiser that was parked in the lot's exit, officials said.
Officers then arrested Belton and the vehicle's passenger, 39-year-old Bonnie Manning, of Riverside.
Both suspects are facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer, assault by auto, trespassing, resisting arrest and drug charges.
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Urtasun suffered knee and abdominal injuries and was taken to Cooper University Hospital for treatment.
