CORINTH – A Penobscot County sheriff’s deputy was injured on Sunday when a car struck his cruiser as he was investigating another accident.

Deputy Doug Smith was sitting in his cruiser about 8 p.m. at the scene of an accident on Route 43 when another vehicle approaching the scene slid and rear-ended his cruiser, forcing it into a ditch.

Smith was treated for minor injuries on Sunday at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor and then released, he said. The cruiser had $2,000 to $3,000 in damage, Smith estimated.

The accident is under investigation by the Maine State Police. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, accidents involving sheriff’s department officials are investigated by other agencies.