Officer severely injured in motorcycle crash in New Prague, Minn.

NEW PRAGUE, Minn. (KMSP) - A Shakopee Police officer is fighting for his life after a serious motorcycle crash south of the metro.

Investigators are still trying to figure out what happened, but the State Patrol says alcohol may be a factor and he wasn't wearing a helmet.

Shakopee Police Chief Jeff Tate declined to comment on camera today but in a message wrote, "All of the department's focus is on Officer Scott Weiers, his family and his recovery."

Tonight Weiers, 48, remains in critical condition after the crash.

Troopers who responded to the scene did smell alcohol on Officer Weiers' breath.

They weren't able to get a breathalyzer on the scene because Weiers was unconscious, but they did draw blood at the hospital.

The results of that blood test are expected back from the BCA in the next few weeks.

The incident occurred surrounded by cornfields and yards from a church at the Hwy. 19 roundabout.  

“The sun will set right down the road and a lot of times it’s hard to see it’s kind of blinding as you’re heading west,” said Shakopee resident Rick Bell.

West is the direction Weiers was headed Saturday evening on his motorcycle.

They were out for a ride in the afternoon and this happened at seven o’clock,” said Leroy Weiers, Officer Weiers’ father.

“My youngest son was about 100 yards behind Scott and they thought maybe the sun was in his eyes and he was blinded, I’m not sure,” Leroy Weiers added.

Road conditions were dry when Weiers crashed into the center median of the roundabout.

“Three broken ribs, a broken bone on his collar, a fractured skull and they operated on his brain this morning,” said Leroy Weiers about his son’s condition.

The serious injuries left Weiers in recovery at North Memorial Hospital.

Weiers was not wearing a helmet during the crash, which Leroy Weiers says wasn’t uncommon for his son, who throughout a 14-year career on the police force, also served as a school resource officer.

“He’s lucky to be alive, he is,” Leroy Weiers added. “I’ve been riding a motorcycle since I was 15 years old. I never had anything this close.”

Meanwhile, Bell worries Weiers won’t be the last man hurt at the traffic circle.

“This roundabout has been here roughly 10 years and there’ve been other accidents, people have hit the roundabout going through,” he said.

Not all the people involved in those accidents survived, so Weiers' father knows he was lucky. 

“I believe it happened for a reason, it was supposed to happen, maybe if it would’ve happened up the road a little bit then he would’ve been going faster and it wouldn’t have been so good maybe, who knows,” said Leroy Weiers.