West Haven Police, Community Rally Around Seriously Injured Officer

West Haven, CT — The West Haven Police Department and the community is rallying around a 34-year-old officer who was seriously injured while participating in a motorcycle training class with the Yonkers, N.Y., Police Department on the Taconic State Parkway on Wednesday.

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Michael Doyle, an eight-year member of the department, was launched from his motorcycle onto the pavement when he was struck by a vehicle merging onto the parkway.

Doyle, who police said is an experienced motorcycle rider, was transported by a Life Star helicopter to Westchester Medical Center.

Doyle was participating in the training exercise with about 25 other police motorcycles, according to police.

“We ask our community to keep this young officer in your thoughts and prayer,” police said on in a post on Facebook on Thursday morning.

Then, in another show of support, the police department pinned a photo of Captain America’s shield at the top of the Facebook page with the following message:

“Our Brother Mike is a huge Captain America fan. This symbol is for him. We can't thank our community enough for the outpouring of thoughts, prayers and well wishes extended to Mike and his family.”

New York State Police said in a press release that at about 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday, a group of police motorcycles engaged in a training run were traveling in the southbound lanes on the Taconic State Parkway at the interchange with Bryant Pond Road. The officers were from multiple different area police agencies.

At about that time, another vehicle began to merge from Bryant Pond Road onto the parkway, police said.

As the vehicle attempted to merge, several of the motorcycles were forced to take evasive action, and two of the cycles struck each other.

“One of the operators, an officer from the West Haven (Connecticut) Police Department was ejected from his bike and suffered serious injuries,” police said in the release. “He was transported by LifeNet Medevac to Westchester Medical Center. The second rider, as well as the other motorist were uninjured.”

The accident remains under investigation.

Any witnesses to the crash are asked to contact the State Police Cortlandt Bureau of Criminal Investigation by calling (914) 769-2600.