VANDALIA, Ill. – Officer Nathan Spiess, a St. Louis police officer, was critically injured on Monday when he was hit by a car while attempting to arrest a carjacking suspect on Interstate 70.

Officer Spiess sustained severe injuries to his leg during the incident. 

This is not the first time Officer Spiess has faced danger in the line of duty; a few years ago, he and his partner, Colin Ledbetter, were shot while on duty.

Ledbetter, a former officer with SLMPD, spoke to FOX 2’s Jasmine Huda in Vandalia, Illinois, about the recent incident and recovery process for Officer Spiess. 

All facts from this article were gathered by KTVI journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by KTVI staff.