Woman sunbathing on beach in New Jersey hit by police officer: Police

A woman relaxing on a beach in Wildwood, New Jersey, was reportedly run over by a police officer in a bizarre accident last week.

The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon, according to the Star-Ledger. Wildwood Police Chief Joseph Murphy told the Atlantic City press that one of the police department's Ford F-150 pickup trucks was involved in the incident.

The victim, whose name was not released by authorities, suffered broken ribs, three broken vertebrae and a punctured lung, WPVI-TV reported, citing the victim's boyfriend.

Murphy said the officer driving the pickup truck was responding to a ordinance violation when the accident occurred.

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“The officer was down there on duty,” the police chief said. “He ran over a victim who was lying on the beach, which was horrific.”

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Murphy added that the victim was visiting Wildwood while on vacation before Labor Day weekend.

“The people on the beach helped us a lot,” the police chief added. “The civilians on the beach did an incredible job.”

A passerby named Rose Simone told WPVI-TV that other beachgoers panicked when the pickup truck hit the woman.

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“Everyone gathered around the man in the truck, screaming, yelling, 'Stop! There's someone under your truck! You hit someone!'” the Chalfont, Pennsylvania, resident recalled.

“A couple of local men came by and said we had to lift the truck, the front of the truck, to get them out,” Simone continued.

Simone told the Star-Ledger that she noticed the woman before the incident. The victim was wearing dark clothing and lying on a beach towel.

“It was clearly an accident, but one that probably could have been avoided,” she added.

The victim is expected to survive.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Wildwood police for more information.

Source of the original article: Woman sunbathing on beach in New Jersey hit by police officer: Police