Horror as New Jersey cop runs over woman sunbathing on the beach

A woman sunbathing on the beach ahead of Labor Day weekend has been run over by a police car in a horror accident.

The woman was relaxing on Wildwood beach in New Jersey on Wednesday when she was hit by the car.

Witness Simone Rose said she heard screaming on the beach coming from all around her, as horrified onlookers tried to alert the officer driving the Ford F-150.

'They were the ones who sprung to action,' she told NJ.com.

'People were just screaming, ''You hit somebody! Somebody's under your truck! Stop''!'

The woman was relaxing on Wildwood beach in New Jersey on Wednesday when she was hit by the car

She said it was only when people gathered around the truck that the officer involved jumped out.

Bystanders worked together to lift the front of the truck off the victim, Simone recalled.

The woman suffered broken ribs and vertebrae, and is reportedly experiencing lung problems, but she is expected to survive the crash.

It is understood she was sunbathing in dark clothes on a towel when the incident occurred. She was with a man, who was swimming in the water at the time.  

She has not been publicly identified.

Wildwood Police Chief Joseph Murphy said on Friday the officer involved, who was not named, is usually assigned to the beach.

The incident is subject to an internal investigation, and a spokesperson said they would not be publicly commenting while that investigation is ongoing. 

A woman sunbathing on the beach ahead of Labor Day weekend has been run over by a police car in a horror accident