Arlington police

Driver Accused of Hitting Arlington Police Bike Officer Arrested

The incident happened around 12:45 a.m. Sunday

Arlington police arrested a man accused of driving an SUV that hit and injured a bike officer over the weekend.

Steven Turner, 37, turned himself in around 6 p.m. Monday, police said. He faces a charge of failing to stop and render aid, and police said he also had misdemeanor warrants for his arrest in Fort Worth.

Police released new surveillance photos of the vehicle Monday as they searched for the driver.

The officer, who has not been identified, was working an approved off-duty assignment at the KAABOO Texas festival late Saturday night when he was notified about a call at a business across the street. 

He and another bike officer working at AT&T Stadium went to respond.

As they made their way up North Collins Street and were trying to turn onto Rogers Street, the driver of a dark-colored SUV or van rear-ended the officer, throwing him from his bike and into the roadway.

Police said the driver did not stop.

They also noted the officer was riding a marked, distinguishable bike equipped with lights, that were on at the time.

Another officer, who had already made it to the business they were trying to reach, had his body camera rolling when the collision happened.

"We've reviewed the footage," said Lt. Chris Cook, spokesperson for the Arlington Police Department. "You can hear a loud boom. And that officer turns and directs his attention out to the roadway and sees the officer that's been struck lying on his back in the roadway. So there's no doubt in our mind that whoever struck the officer's bicycle knew he hit something."

The officer was taken to the hospital for treatment. He has since been released, but continues to recover at home.

"I talked to him last night -- he's eager to get back to work," Cook said. "He's actually a supervisor, a sergeant in the department who works criminal investigations. He's not typically on the streets -- again, he was working an off-duty job that night -- but he's in good spirits. He just wants the suspect caught."

Surveillance cameras in the area caught the suspect vehicle as it fled from the scene. Although the images are grainy, police said they can make out what appears to be some type of lit object on the dashboard of the vehicle -- leading them to believe it may be an Uber or Lyft sign.

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