Car accidents can happen at any time or place, but it’s common to see them happen at intersections and in areas where traffic is high. That’s what happened in this case out of Colorado Springs, where a police officer was hit in his cruiser.
According to the story from Dec. 6, the officer was on Union with a partner in the vehicle. They approached a light that was not working due to a power outage affecting the area.
After the squad car entered the intersection, the officers were impacted by another vehicle that was crossing their path from Woodmen. The vehicle did not yield to the officers and was cited for careless driving and for having no insurance to cover the accident.
Of the officers in the vehicle, one suffered injuries to his neck and head, complaining of pain after the accident. He was taken to the hospital and treated for his injuries. He has been released and is reportedly recovering from the incident at home.
When power outages are in play, drivers need to be particularly careful. Intersections without lighting can become dangerous, and drivers should make sure to follow local laws for proceeding. Normally, everyone stops and passes through the intersection in a clockwise fashion, which helps make sure no one gets hurt without the lights working. This is similar to the way a four-way stop works without traffic lights in play. If you’re hurt in this kind of situation, it’s still possible to make a claim against the other driver and potentially the city for failing to have working traffic lights.
Source: KRDO, “Colorado Springs police officer involved in accident,” Dec. 06, 2015
