FAYETTEVILLE — A West Fork police officer is recovering from neck and back injuries that he suffered during a four-wheeler accident over the Labor Day weekend.
John Nelson was riding on private property in a remote area south of Winslow on Sept. 6 when he lost control while attempting to turn and was injured in a single-vehicle accident, his father, West Fork Police Chief Mike Nelson, said.
John Nelson, a West Fork officer for 12 years, is at home recovering from three fractures in his neck and one in his back, Mike Nelson said.
Mike Nelson said that the Washington County Sheriff's Office has investigated the incident and has issued no citations.
The sheriff's office did not provide a copy of its investigative report because the incident is still under investigation, said Kelly Cantrell, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.
The file has been turned over to the Washington County Prosecutor's Office to determine if any charges should be filed, she said.
The sheriff's office responded to the accident scene in the remote area near the Crawford County line, but Nelson had already been taken to a hospital by an emergency helicopter, Cantrell said. First responders told deputies that they did not know if alcohol was involved, she said.
Nelson was coherent, and his speech was not slurred when a sheriff's deputy went to the hospital to investigate further, she said.
News, Pages 5 on 09/23/2009