Webb City officer, son severely injured when hit by car in Florida

WEBB CITY, Mo. — A Webb City police officer and his child were both severely injured in a car-pedestrian accident earlier this week while the family was on vacation in Florida.

Webb City Patrol Sgt. Brian Ward, wife Heather and their two children — Knox, 2, and Reagan, 5 — were on vacation in Escambia County, Florida. On Tuesday, the family’s vehicle was pulled over on the shoulder with its hazard lights flashing, and when Brian was about to place Knox in his car seat, another driver hit them. The driver was apprehended at the scene.

Don Melton, Webb City police chief, said the police report isn’t available yet, but he was contacted by Heather Ward the night of the accident and received some details.

“I Googled how fast I could get to Florida,” he said after being contacted by Heather Ward. “It’s 12 hours and 34 minutes away. She texted me at about 10 p.m. the night (Tuesday) that it happened. I told her whatever she needed, we would be more than willing to provide. She texted us back later that they were both stabilized a little after midnight.

“They were staying in Navarre Beach and had gone over to the bird sanctuary in Pensacola,” he added. “They were outside looking at crabs and were getting back in the vehicle when they were struck in a small 25 mph zone, from my understanding.”

The 2-year-old boy wound up about 30 feet in front of the Wards’ vehicle, and Brian Ward was dragged 75 yards by the other vehicle. Heather Ward and Reagan were not injured but witnessed the crash. Heather Ward said in a Facebook post that she believes her husband saved their son’s life by throwing him to safety.

She said she was told by one of the officers working the accident that her husband “cheated death.”

The father and son were transported to separate hospitals and admitted into intensive care units. Knox and Brian Ward both remained in stable condition as of Thursday. Brian Ward is undergoing surgeries to repair a broken leg. He also had to get 12 staples in the back of his skull. Knox suffered brain bleeding and a possible skull fracture, according to Heather Ward’s Facebook posts.

Brian Ward has been with the Webb City Police Department since January 2011 and was promoted to patrol sergeant in July 2018. Melton described him as a confident and compassionate police officer.

The law enforcement community in Florida has taken exceptional care of the Ward family throughout this ordeal, according to Melton. He said an officer with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has gone above and beyond to make sure they’re well taken care of, which has given his department some peace of mind.

“They got an immediate response from several agencies within that Florida Panhandle where they were in Escambia County,” Melton said. “From what I’m gathering, Heather went with Knox to one hospital, and the officer went with Brian to the other hospital where he was stabilized.”

Melton said the officer even picked up Brian Ward’s parents from the airport and that he understood the officer temporarily donated his truck to the family.

“And he’s offered a camping trailer for them to stay in,” Melton said. “They’ve bought meals for the family and took them to get some clothes because their vehicle was damaged down there, too, in the crash. These are just stories that I’ve been hearing, and the way the law enforcement community has come together in a time like this, it just fills you with pride.”

It’s still too early to tell what the road to recovery will look like for the family, Melton said. The local law enforcement in Florida is waiting to see how badly the family was injured before filing formal charges against the driver, he said.

“The outpouring of support from the community has been amazing,” Melton said. “We’re keeping in communication with them and praying for them several times a day. Heather has shown so much strength through all of this.”

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