Off-Duty Providence Officer Hit State Police Cruiser With 2 K9s

WARWICK, RI — An off-duty Providence police officer crashed into a Rhode Island State Police cruiser late Tuesday night, causing minor injuries to both drivers and two police dogs inside.

According to state police, the crash happened a little after 11 p.m. on I-95 North, just past the airport connector. The officer, Trooper Dan O'Neil, had just finished conducting a traffic stop when he pulled completely off the road, parking on the grassy median.

There were two K9s in the cruiser at the time of the crash, Ruby, who gained national attention when she won the Hero Dog award, and Coda, a trainee who was on a ridealong. Both were taken to the East Greenwich Animal Hospital and are doing fine, police said.

Both O'Neil and the other driver sustained minor injuries and are recovering.

The Providence Police Department will conduct an internal investigation in connection with the incident.