A police officer narrowly survived after a driver was caught on camera smashing into his car - missing him by inches. <br /><br />The officer was exiting the vehicle during a traffic stop when the white Kia smashed into his open door.<br /><br />Body camera footage shows the moment of the collision, in which the door is almost completely taken off. <br /><br />The Kia avoided a more serious collision with the St Petersburg, Florida, USA officer by inches but he was left with an injured hand.<br /><br />He can be seen cradling his hand and is heard on the radio saying: "I had a really close call, I need to be checked out."<br /><br />He was on the side of the I-375 on January 6th, near 5th Avenue North on-ramp in St Petersburg with emergency lights on. <br /><br />The driver of the Kia, Mackenzie Paige Deaton, 24, fled after the accident but was apprehended soon after. <br /><br />She has since been charged with serious bodily injury hit and run, tampering with evidence and citations.<br /><br />The officer was treated for his injuries at the nearby Bayfront Health Hospital. <br /><br />The St Petersburg Police Department said: "As he was getting out of the police vehicle, a white Kia sedan struck the police vehicle, causing minor injury to the officer. <br /><br />"He was transported to Bayfront Health and will be okay. No one else was injured.<br /><br />"It [the body camera footage] illustrates the importance of moving over when there is an emergency vehicle or disabled car on the side of the road.<br /><br />"Luckily, this officer was not severely injured."
