Las Vegas police officer injured by hit-and-run driver

A Las Vegas police motorcycle officer suffered nonlife-threatening injuries Tuesday afternoon when he was struck by a hit-and-run motorist in the west valley.

The Metropolitan Police Department said the officer was taken to University Medical Center.

The driver of the red sedan that struck him was subsequently taken into custody, and was being booked on felony counts of hit and run, police said.

The crash occurred about 1:10 p.m. in the intersection of Charleston and Rainbow boulevards.

The motorist “fled the scene,” driving to an apartment complex where the vehicle was ditched.

Police shut down Charleston in both directions at Redwood Street for several hours during the investigation.

It was the second crash involving a Metro officer in the last 72 hours.

Overnight Sunday, another officer suffered “serious” injuries following a collision on U.S. 95.

Metro said on Monday that that officer was “doing well considering the nature of the crash.”

Review-Journal reporter Ricardo Torres-Cortez contributed to this report. Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.