Officer hurt after losing control of bike

A Salt Lake City police motorcycle officer was injured Wednesday when he lost control of his bike on the ramp leading from Bangerter Highway to westbound I-80 near the Salt Lake International Airport.

The officer, whose name was not released Wednesday, may have hit loose gravel or dirt about 3 p.m., causing his motorcycle to fall on its side and both the cycle and officer to slide about 100 feet, said Salt Lake City police detective Dwayne Baird.

The officer injured his leg and fingers but was listed in non-life-threatening condition.

Initially, the call for help came from the officer's partner, who in a panicked voice yelled "Officer down!" over the city's radio. Officers from Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Department and the Utah Highway Patrol responded immediately.

"It's a frightening situation when you don't know what is going on," Baird said.

The exact cause of the accident remained under investigation Wednesday.