By Jack Minch, Sun Staff
Lowell Sun
LOWELL- Two police officers were injured in a collision in the Acre neighborhood on their way to save a choking baby last night, police said.
The officers’ names weren’t immediately released.
They were on their way to rescue a 9-month-old baby who had reportedly stopped breathing, and their cruiser had its lights and sirens on about 8:30 p.m., said Lt. Thomas Meehan.
A preliminary investigation indicates the police car and a black Infinity were headed in the same direction up Merrimack Street, said Lt. James McPadden. The police car had its lights and siren on when it tried to pass but the Infinity started a left turn toward Cabot Street, he said.
The police car apparently caromed to the left, hit a traffic light anchored at the intersection and went up the sidewalk and into the front of Brothers Pizza at 862 Merrimack St. The car’s right side scraped along a support post for the awning up to its sideview mirror.
The Infinity had heavy damage to its left front fender and bumper afterward.
One of the two officers apparently suffered a serious leg injury, Meehan said.
The driver’s and passenger’s airbags inflated but the shattered windshield indicated one of the officers hit it.
The driver was bleeding from the head when firefighters arrived, said fire Lt. Steve McCabe.
“He was ... laying across the lap of the officer in the passenger seat. He got thrown across the vehicle,” McCabe said.
The driver of the Infinity was not reported injured, though he was taken to one of the hospitals in the city, police said.
Roger Swan, of 657 Merrimack St., said he was around the corner when he heard a fire truck go past with its lights and sirens and then heard the collision.
“Right after the fire truck went by that’s when I heard the three bangs,” he said. “I didn’t see it happening, but boy did I hear it.”
Christos Bletsis, who owns Brothers Pizza, said he felt the collision with his building.
“It was just a bump,” he said. “It broke my building.”
It was not immediately clear if the officers were wearing seat belts, but the driver of the Infinity was, police said.
The choking baby was O.K. last night, police said. An investigation into the crash is continuing.
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