UPDATE: Suffolk Cop Hit By Fleeing Car in Critical Condition

Photo (by Chris George): Suffolk County police officer Nicholas Guerrero was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital.

A Suffolk County cop is in critical condition with a “very serious head injury” after he and another officer were struck by a car they had just pulled over in Huntington Monday afternoon, police said.

Nicholas Guerrero, 36, is currently in Stony Brook University Hospital’s Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit, police said.

According to police, Guerrero and fellow Second Precinct Crime Section officer Heriberto Lugo initiated a traffic stop on Partridge Lane in Huntington at about 1:35 p.m. While attempting to speak to the occupants, Guerrero and Lugo were struck by the vehicle, which then fled the scene, police said.

A short distance away, the driver of the vehicle then hit another vehicle and fled, police said. At about 1:50 p.m., a suspect forcibly stole a vehicle from a woman on Dovecote Lane in Commack, police said.

A broadcast notification was made and two suspects, whom police have not yet named, were located and arrested inside the Central Islip Target, located at 160 North Research Place, police said.

Guerrero was transported via Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital. Lugo was also taken to Stony Brook, where he was treated and released, police said.

“Officer Guerrero is a very hardworking, dedicated, well-respected member of police department,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Edward Webber said in a statement. “He joined the SCPD in 2010 and because of his excellent interviewing skills, investigative abilities and strong ability to interact well with the public, he was assigned to the Second Precinct Crime Section after only four years. He is a true professional. Our thoughts are with him and his family and we pray for his full recovery.”

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone also released a statement.

“Each and every day the brave men and women of the Suffolk County Police Department risk their own wellbeing to protect the residents of this County,” Bellone said. “Officer Guerrero is a true public servant whose bravery, valor and devotion to the job have earned him the highest respect from his superiors and fellow officers alike. It is a travesty anytime a police officer is hurt in the line of duty. Suffolk County’s thoughts and prayers are with Officer Guerrero and his family.”