Family of woman run over by officer speaks exclusively with Fox 8

GRAND ISLE, LA (WVUE) - The family of a woman run over by an officer while she was sunbathing speaks exclusively to Fox 8. Lindsey Gordon, 24, is recovering in a New Orleans hospital while the officer who ran her over is on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the crash.

Gordon just wanted to spend the day at the beach with her friend. Now, her family says she has a shattered pelvis and internal bleeding, "I just don't see how he could not see them laying there," said Gordon's mother, Suzanne Baggett.

Gordon and her friend were sunbathing around 3:15 Thursday afternoon as Grand Isle Police Officer Norris Esponge was patrolling the beach in a marked police unit, a F-250 truck. Gordon's friend was able to move out of the way but Louisiana State Police say Officer Esponge rolled over Gordon. State troopers are now conducting an independent investigation into the crash.

According to our news partners, The Times Picayune/Nola.com, Esponge is the assistant chief of the Grand Isle Police Department.

We spoke with a relative of the woman who escaped injury. She did not want to be identified."When she realized something was going on is when she heard Lindsey screaming and she rolled out of the way and saw the truck," she said. "Lindsey was being rolled under the truck, and flipping under the truck and she screamed to get him to stop."

Gordon's family says she's been through multiple surgeries, but is in stable condition.

State Police say the Grand Isle Police Department is handling toxicology tests on the officer as part of its administrative policies, "the toxicology is something the police department was requiring for their driver and they're handling that," said Sgt. Nick Manale with Louisiana State Police.

State troopers tell us they do not believe Esponge was impaired at the time of the accident, which is why they say they did not conduct their own toxicology test. The Grand Isle Police Department requested Louisiana State Police investigate the crash since it involved one of their officers.

Officer Esponge has been cooperative according to The Grand Isle Police Department.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office tells us Esponge worked for their department from 1989 until 2007. We're told he had no formal complaints with internal affairs while he was there and he left in good standing.

The Grand Isle Police Department was already under investigation for an unrelated matter by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office for alleged improprieties.

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