CAREYWOOD - A Bonner County sheriff's deputy was injured in a collision with a tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 95 on Tuesday night.

Idaho State Police said Deputy Alexander Hughes was driving southbound in a patrol vehicle when he attempted to make a U-turn near the Blacktail Road turnoff. While executing the maneuver, he was struck by a southbound Volvo tractor-trailer driven by Adil Naib, state police said.

Sandpoint/Sagle Fire Chief Ron Stocking said it took 50 minutes to cut the wreckage of Hughes' sport utility vehicle away from him.

"It was a very complicated rescue," Stocking said.

Hydraulic rams had to be used to separate the Chevrolet Tahoe from the Volvo's front bumper. The SUV's roof also had to be sheared off, Stocking said.

Stocking said the patient was wedged between the Volvo's bumper and the Tahoe's center console, which held a bank of communications equipment.

Stocking said it appeared the Tahoe had been T-boned by the tractor-trailer.

Hughes, 29, was taken to Kootenai Health, where he reportedly underwent emergency surgery. A Bonner County EMS run report indicated Hughes suffered internal bleeding.

EMS officials attempted to scramble an air ambulance to evacuate Hughes, but poor weather conditions thwarted that effort, the run report said.

Hughes' condition on Wednesday was not immediately available. Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler did not return a call seeking comment.

Naib, a resident of Calgary, Alberta, was not injured in the collision, state police said. Airbags deployed and seat belts were worn at the time of the crash, according to ISP.

The crash happened at 9:33 p.m. and closed the highway for several hours.

It's not clear if Hughes was responding to a call for service at the time of the collision. He took an informational report in Sagle shortly after 7 p.m. and completed the call about 20 minutes later, according to a daily activity log published by Bonner Dispatch.

State police said the collision remains under investigation.