COLUMBIA - The South Carolina Department of Public Safety announces that Senior Trooper Michael Rao, 33, underwent several hours of surgery this afternoon at Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital in Columbia after being struck by a vehicle this morning. He is in the intensive care unit in critical condition.

Rao was struck by a vehicle about 8:30 a.m. today as he was assisting a motorist whose car had broken down on the side of the road on I-95 in Clarendon County. Rao was airlifted to Columbia with serious head injuries, a broken leg and a broken pelvis.

“The Highway Patrol team is a family, and we will remain here to support Mike’s family throughout this terribly difficult time,” said Highway Patrol commander Col. Mike Kelley. “Rao is a dedicated trooper who is loved and highly respected by his co-workers and friends.”

Rao is a member of the ACE team, which does drug interdiction for the Highway Patrol on the state’s major highways. Rao was struck -- while standing next to the disabled vehicle -- by a small 2001 Chevrolet pick-up truck. The truck first hit the Patrol car and then struck the trooper pinning him underneath the truck. According to the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office, another trooper and passing motorists -- including a nurse -- helped free Rao from under the vehicle and gave him medical attention until EMS arrived.

Rao has been with the Highway Patrol since 1998. He began his career in Kershaw County. In November 2001, he joined the ACE team working Region Four, which includes Clarendon, Williamsburg, Darlington, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marlboro, Dillion and Marion counties.

The Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the collision with the assistance of the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office reconstruction team. The driver of the truck that struck Rao is Anthony Ralph Cocco, 77, of Holland, Penn. He was taken to Clarendon Memorial Hospital. No charges have been filed pending further investigation, according to the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office. There was a couple and their small child in the disabled vehicle. The driver was standing outside the vehicle next to Rao but he and his family were not injured in the collision.

Rao currently resides in Lugoff with his wife, Janet, and 2-year-old daughter.

“We are praying for Mike and his family and his complete recovery,” said DPS Director Boykin Rose. “This accident illustrates the dangerous nature of this job and the sacrifices our law enforcement officers and their families make every day to keep our motorists safe.”