Logan County Deputy Recovering Following Crash

A Logan County deputy was hit in a crash over the weekend. Sheriff Damon Devereaux said he could be facing a long road to recovery.

Freddie Watkins is behind bars at the Logan County Jail following the crash near Charter Oak and Sooner Road. Watkins may have been intoxicated, police say.

“It was a hard hit. I don't believe the suspect hit his brakes at all,” Devereaux said.

Deveraux said he got a call Saturday night saying one of his guys was hit.

“He does have some small fractures in his neck that are concerning. They'll determine if he'll need surgery to correct this or if they'll heal on their own,” Devereaux said.

Investigators said Watkins ran a stop sign before crashing into the passenger side of the deputy's vehicle causing it to roll. The sheriff said thankfully his radio still works and he was able to call out.

First responders got on scene and quickly got the deputy William Zdrojewski to the hospital. He was released and sent home to recover.

But for the time being, the department that is looking for new recruits is down a deputy.

“We can't pay what the rest of the agencies in the state are paying so we're already struggling to get applicants that are wanting to work for a sheriff's office because the pay is significantly lower,” Devereaux said.

Devereaux said he's not sure when his deputy will be able to make it back to work. This crash is a big hit for their department and it all could've been avoided.

“The biggest risk of driving on our roadways is a drunk driver. It's kind of the trifecta of what you don't want to see on the roadways. Someone who is under the influence, someone who doesn't have a driver’s license and somebody who doesn't have insurance,” Devereaux said.

Watkins is being held on a $50,000 bond.