The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is reminding drivers to stay alert on the roads after a pickup truck slammed into a state trooper’s vehicle on I-85, leaving the trooper with minor injuries.

The incident happened around 8:25 a.m. on Saturday, July 15, west of Hillsborough near the I-40 merge.

“Deputies and troopers were assisting a disabled passenger bus,” said the Sheriff’s office on social media, “when an oncoming Ford Ranger pickup struck one of the trooper’s cruisers parked along the side of the travel lane.”

The trooper was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. The driver of the Ford also suffered minor injuries.

“Incidents like this highlight the dangers of distracted driving,” wrote the Sheriff’s office. “Our interstate highways are already dangerous. When you combine high speeds, distracted driving and the construction along these thoroughfares, it’s a recipe for disaster. Please slow down and pay attention as you travel from place to place.”

Photos via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

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