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Originally posted by piratenews:

Officer Damon Badnell won MADD Award

SANTA MARIA – Not much is left of a Santa Maria Police cruiser after it was wrapped around a tree early Sunday morning.

The powerful impact nearly split the squad car in two stopping just short of the officer sitting behind the wheel.

"That car is the worst police traffic collision I have seen here at this police department in 35 years", says SMPD Chief Dan Macagni.

Macagni says Officer Damon Badnell was responding to a call for help from another officer on foot chasing a burglary suspect in the north end of town.

"It had just rained, the roads were slick and for unknown reasons he lost control of the car at Main and Broadway", Macagni says.

Officer Badnell is being treated for broken bones at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital where doctors are optimistic about his recovery.

A three year veteran of the Santa Maria Police Department, Damon Badnell is a husband and father who grew up in the area and was just awarded by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for making the most DUI arrests in the city.

"It's unbelievable he's alive and survived this crash", adds Chief Macagni.

http://www.kcoy.com/Global/story.asp?S=12792890
http://www.nitrobahn.com/news/police-car-tree-crashpolice-trash/

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