Trooper hurtles through the air, survives after being struck in dramatic dashcam video

The Utah Highway Patrol released dramatic dashcam video of the moment a trooper was struck by a vehicle on a highway. The trooper survived, and now he's saying of the driver involved, "She's not to be vilified."

Sgt. Cade Brenchley, a second generation trooper, was walking along a highway in Sardine Canyon, Utah on Sunday when the accident occurred. He had been responding to cars that had slid off the roadway due to winter weather.

In the video, Brenchley can be seen walking toward a car that is on the side of the road before another car strikes him from behind. He goes flying through the air and lands near the car he had been approaching. Several people can then be seen coming to his aid. The department said in a statement that they're thankful for those who stopped to help.

The trooper suffered broken ribs and a broken scapula, but he said in a press conference Tuesday that he didn't realize how dramatic the impact had been.

"When I watched the video, I had no idea that it was that hard," he said. "And yeah, I flew."

Brenchley said the driver who hit him was hysterical over the accident. She was also among those who brought him flowers in the hospital. He said she'd made a mistake, and he believed she learned from it.

"I hold no ill will toward her," he said. "And if anybody should be upset, it should be me or my family. But we're not."