Lights were flashing on metro-east police car but it still got hit. Here’s the video

Fairview Heights police officers got a stark reminder this week about the hazards they face dealing with DUI cases — and it was all captured on an officer’s body camera.

Early Wednesday morning, a police officer had stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on St. Clair Avenue by Third Street.

A second police officer, whose vehicle had emergency lights flashing, then pulled behind the first officer’s vehicle as backup, according to a department news release.

At 12:24 a.m., after the second officer had gotten out to help the first officer, a motorist crashed into the officer’s patrol car.

No one was inside the backup police car and the motorist was not injured.

At the time of the crash, officers made a traffic stop and were putting a crime suspect wanted on an active warrant into the front police car.

“Thank goodness that second car was there, otherwise there would have been injuries,” Police Chief Steve Johnson said in an interview.

A police body camera recorded the motorist’s crash into the patrol car.

Elesia R. Golliday Brown, 42, of Cahokia Heights was identified as the driver whose car crashed into the patrol car, police said.

Brown was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after police conducted field sobriety tests , according to the news release.