LAPD officer released from hospital after being hit by car on duty

LAPD officer out of hospital after crash

LAPD Sergeant Vanessa Prentice was hit by an alleged drunk driver on Sept. 23. She was in the hospital for nearly a month and was recently released.

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles Police Department officer is recovering at home after nearly a month in the hospital, after she was hit by a car.

LAPD Sergeant Vanessa Prentice was working on patrol in the LAPD's Southwest Division on Sept. 23, when she was hit by a car as police tried to stop a stolen vehicle. The driver was allegedly under the influence.

Body camera video from that night showed the moment Prentice was hit, her body camera was sent spinning. She had been hospitalized since the crash.

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On Oct. 16, the department shared a video on its Instagram page, showing officers in force at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, cheering Prentice on as she was released from the hospital. In the video, Prentice was still in a wheelchair, with a cast on her leg, holding a sign that said, "Thank you Southwest! For everything!" Other signs wished her a speedy recovery and welcomed her back home.

"Welcome home Sergeant Prentice," the department's post read. "We wish you a full and speedy recovery."