By John Ingold
Denver Post
DENVER, Colo. — Denver police officer was seriously injured early this morning when another vehicle hit his patrol car as the officer sped with lights and sirens on Federal Boulevard.
The two vehicles collided near the intersection of West 18th Avenue and Federal, and the crash sent the officer’s vehicle tumbling for about 100 yards. The patrol car came to rest on its roof, crumpled like a piece of paper. It knocked over a light pole as it rolled.
An amublance rushed the officer to Denver Health Medical Center, where he was described as being alert and in stable condition with cuts and broken bones.
“From the looks of his car, he’s very fortunate not to have suffered more serious injuries,” Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said.
The driver of the vehicle that hit the officer, a woman, was not seriously injured, Jackson said.
The accident happened around midnight as the officer raced northbound on Federal, responding to a report of a fellow officer calling for help. That officer turned out to be OK.
At the same time, Jackson said, a woman driving a Jeep Cherokee southbound on Federal tried to turn left into a Burger King parking lot. The woman was apparently suffering some kind of medical emergency, Jackson said.
“She for some reason either didn’t see him or didn’t react,” Jackson said.
The officer was using his lights and sirens in accordance with department policy, Jackson said, and investigators do not consider him at fault for the crash. It is possible the driver of the Jeep could face charges, Jackson said.
The noise of the crash brought dozens of onlookers from the surrounding neighborhood.
“It sounded like a big crash, like somebody hit something hard,” said Judy Pease, who lives about a block away from the accident scene. “I mean, it was a bang.”
Police were not releasing the names of either the officer or the woman in the Jeep. The officer works in the northwest Denver patrol district and has been with the department for about two years, Jackson said.
Federal Boulevard was closed in both directions around the accident scene early this morning while police investigated the crash.
Copyright 2007 The Denver Post