STARKVILLE — A Starkville police officer remains in the intensive care unit at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo after wrecking his patrol car Thursday afternoon.
Officer Derek Nelson was attempting to pull over a speeding vehicle on Garrard Road, west of Jackson Street, at 12:30 p.m. when a passenger side tire dropped off the pavement, sending Nelson’s car into an embankment. His car flipped and then hit a utility pole, Starkville Police Chief David Lindley said.
Nelson was initially hospitalized at OCH-Regional Medical Center and was transported to North Mississippi Medical Center where he has received treatment for a concussion and other minor injuries, Lindley said.
Nelson’s wife, Ashley, posted to his Facebook page that he’d suffered “Bruising on the brain, fractured vertebrae and broken orbital bone. Fractured wrist too.”
She also wrote her husband would remain in Tupelo until Sunday so doctors can monitor his brain injuries.
Ashley confirmed early Friday afternoon that Derek’s broken vertebrae will not require surgery. She said doctors are in the process of moving Derek from ICU to hospital room. The family is still targeting Sunday as a release date.
“The main artery that it’s sitting on will heal itself,” she said, “so that’s a blessing. He’s just going to be in a neck brace for a while.
“We have really good doctors here. The Starkville Police Department has been fabulous, as far as taking care of us and everything. We’re really lucky.”
The driver of the speeding vehicle did not stop. Lindley said the police department is investigating the crash and they don’t have a description of the unknown speeder.
“Obviously, Derek is not in a very good position as he should be to give those details,” Lindley said. “We haven’t wanted to press him because of his recovery.
“Officers face a lot of dangers in the line of duty, this being one of them,” Lindley said. “We hope he gets out soon.”
Lindley declined to say what kind of charges the driver could face if more information about him or her was known.
“It’d be speculation,” Lindley said.
Nelson joined the department in October after serving with the Amory Police Department. He’s been a police officer since 2007. He’s originally from Vardaman.
Lindley said “it’s been quite some time” since an officer had an accident that totaled a patrol car.
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