I remember one day a coworker came into work crying hysterically. It turns out she had seen a dog on the freeway on her way in and she was terrified for his safety. He had not been struck, but the idea that he could have been was too much for her. Luckily, he was rescued before being hit by a car. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

At 8:21 a.m. Monday morning, NYPD officers responded to a 911 call concerning a dog. He had been struck on the Grand Central Parkway near the Long Island Expressway, and injured, could not leave the four-lane highway. Upon arrival, Officers Melissa Mezzoiuso and George Morina-Blocker discovered the young Pit Bull mix lying helplessly in the middle left lane.

They worked quickly to save the animal, by first parking their patrol car to block traffic, then carrying the dog to the side of the road. The Pit Bull, dubbed “Rocky” by the officers according to PIX11, was taken to the ASPCA of Queens. Due to his injuries, Rocky was transferred to the ASPCA animal hospital in Manhattan where veterinarians could assess his condition.

Rocky, renamed Huxley by the ASPCA (since another dog in their care had the same name), is recovering after surgery to fix his broken leg, the NY Daily News reports. The agency is urging anyone who knows anything about Huxley to step forward. If no one claims him, it is likely Huxley will be adopted out.

Police are investigating how the Pit Bull got onto the highway and who his owners are, according to NBC New York.

Top Photo: Brindle Pittie via Shutterstock.