WALKER — Interstate 12 westbound at the Walker exit was closed after a police officer was hit by a car while he was pursuing a suspect on foot in the eastbound lane, Denham Police said on Friday. It has since reopened.

Traffic that was stuck in the backup caused by the crash is being let through to pass the crash, but the roadway remained closed. Congestion reached seven miles.

The officer, Cpl. Brandon Ashton, was on foot attempting to make contact with a subject also on foot on I-12 eastbound near mile marker 14 when he was hit by a vehicle, police said.

"When the officer got there, he got out of his unit and tried to make contact with him," Sgt. Scott Sterling with Denham Springs Police Department said. "The subject jumped over the median wall into westbound traffic. When traffic tried to slow down, to avoid hitting the subject, they swerved and were hitting brakes and went over to the shoulder, where Corporal Ashton was standing."

Ashton was brought to Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge after being struck by the vehicle, which was attempting to avoid the subject who had run into lanes of traffic. He has since been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

"Chief Walker wants to make it known how much he appreciates all of our law enforcement partners along with all medical personnel who responded to the incident. We ask for prayers for our officer and his family right now," a police spokesperson said.

The person who hit Ashton is unlikely to face charges, Sterling said.

"They were visibly distraught. They were upset about the situation, but there were several witnesses there who said that, that driver did everything they could. He was already on the brakes and trying to avoid contact. Just with everything going on, there was just nowhere to go to avoid anything."