A policewoman was punched in the throat by a man who sped off from the scene of a car crash in a Range Rover, West Midlands Police said.
The alleged attack happened after officers were called to reports that a Ford Ranger had crashed into a wall on Robert Street, in the Lower Gornal area of Dudley, just before 5.30am on Thursday morning.
When officers arrived, they spotted a man walking away from the scene towards a Range Rover and approached him.
As a policewoman tried to stop him entering the car, which had a second person in the driving seat, he lashed out and struck her.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: ‘An officer was punched in the throat as she tried to stop the man from getting into a nearby Range Rover driven by a second person.
‘The Range Rover made off, but officers including traffic and drones units worked quickly and found two suspects in the Swindon area of South Staffordshire.’
A policewoman was punched in the throat by a man fleeing a crash scene (stock image)
A 46 year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and drink-driving, while a woman aged 48 was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Both suspects were arrested at around 7.30am and remain in custody.
The officer was not seriously injured, the force added.
A Range Rover has also been recovered.