RALEIGH - Wendell police officer Jermaine Thomas was taken to the hospital Wednesday after flipping his patrol car on the way to work early that morning.

Thomas lost control of his vehicle and ran off the side of the road on Barwell Road in Raleigh about 5:40 a.m., Wendell police said.

Thomas was ejected from his car during the accident, suffering a broken ankle along with several cuts and bruises, Wendell police said. He was taken to WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh.

"Last we heard, (Thomas) is still at the hospital having surgery on his ankle," Wendell police Chief Vance Johnson said Wednesday. "It could have been much worse."

Johnson speculated that Thomas lost control after swerving to avoid a half-full bag of trash in the road.

"Could he have been trying to avoid it? Yes, but I can't say for sure," Johnson said. "We're letting (Highway Patrol) handle the investigation."

Thomas, 30, has worked with the Wendell Police Department since October 2004. Johnson said Thomas serves on Wendell's traffic safety unit along with one other officer and is well thought of in the community.

"He's a good guy, everybody likes him, and all the kids look up to him," Johnson said, noting that Thomas has coached recreational softball teams.