Florida police officer recounts moments being run over by trailer after traffic stop

A Florida police officer is healing up after being run over by a trailer full of lawn equipment. 

In an interview on Wednesday, Belle Isle Officer Zachary Matthews was in quite a bit of pain but still in good spirits. Asked about being run over, he said it was "not his favorite" day at work. 

Matthews always wanted to be a police officer. He has family on the force and looked up to them as a child.

"There’s a lot of opportunities to help people that need help, and make a difference in people's lives," Matthews explained.

He knew the job was dangerous, but getting run over by a trailer was something he didn’t expect.

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"The tire of the actual trailer ended up on top of my chest, limiting my airway, so I was not able to breathe," he recounted.

Officer Matthews pulled Carlos Miller over because his trailer had no lights on it.

When he got up to the car, the police officer noticed the smell of burnt cannabis, so he called for backup.

Officer Matthews (Source: Belle Isle Police Department) 

He and another officer tried to pull Miller from the car, but Belle Isle police say Miller pushed Matthews down, and he wound up pinned underneath the trailer, with it dragging him.

"The feeling of going from feeling fine and not having any injuries to - during the process of fighting for your life to stay alive – and then realizing afterward the extent of the injuries. It's a lot going on."

Officer Matthews was able to push the trailer off. Body camera video shows the same version of events he recalled: his first instinct was to run over and help his partner.

"It’s not just me out there," said Matthews. "Everyone has reason to go home at the end of the night, obviously. Making sure my partner was able to go home and that he was safe was my main concern, as well as my safety."

It wasn’t until later he wound up on the ground, as the pain of multiple spinal fractures, nerve damage, road rash, and cuts and bruises to his shoulders, arms, and head sunk in. 

Recovery is going to take a while. He says he essentially has to learn to walk again without pain.

However, Matthews says he can’t wait to get back to work.

"Being able to move from underneath a fully loaded trailer with a lot of equipment and other things inside was nothing short of a miracle."

Orange CountyCrime and Public Safety