SAN ANGELO, TX - A San Angelo Police Officer responding to an afternoon accident on Jackson and Knickerbocker crashed his motorcycle while attempting to secure the area. As a result, he suffered minor injury.
SAPD Sgt. Solsbery said police were dispatched to the area for a major crash. Officer Palmer, who was in the area and responded, passed the crash and was about to make a U-turn to get behind the vehicles so he could block traffic. Unfortunately, he did not realize there was a vehicle next to him when he went to make his turn. Thus, as he did so, he crashed into the vehicle. Luckily, Officer Palmer did not suffer major injury, but he was transported to a local hospital for observation.
"He's being treated for some minor injuries," said Sgt. Solsbery. "Other than that, he's going to be okay."
As for the other crash, Sgt. Solsbery said the driver of a white Mitsubishi failed to control speed, causing the collision.
As a result of both crashes, traffic came to a crawl in the area, and the intersection in front of Raising Cane's was blocked for some time.
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Comments
So the police officer made a unsafe U-turn without checking to see if the lane was clear but the car he HIT got the citation? Just wow.......
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PermalinkYou need to re-read the article. Nowhere does it say the the driver of the vehicle the officer hit got a citation.
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PermalinkI was just going to say the same thing.. The article doesn't even contain the word "citation"
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PermalinkI could have sworn it said he was cited. My bad :)
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PermalinkYes, Jim G., you read half of that right but still make a VALID point. The incident that DID involve the motorcycle cop making an unsafe u-turn did not inform us of what citation he DESERVES to be given. No excuse for causing an accident, not even responding to another.
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Permalink... if the SAPD Motorcycle Officer responding to the accident had his strobes on (as they usually do when responding to a scene), he had the right-of-way... and the vehicle he crashed into should've yielded - and been cited as a result.
Not that anybody ever actually yields for emergency vehicles these days, anyway.
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PermalinkUnderstandable, however......if he made a left u-turn he was turning across multiple lanes of traffic or hit a car in the turning lane. So still......no excuses
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PermalinkIf a responding emergency vehicle is in the area, motorists are required to slow down and move to the right... not attempt to pass on the left or 'beat feet' to avoid being slowed down and inconvenienced by a traffic accident they're not involved in. That car shouldn't have been there for him to run into. Granted, the motorcycle officer should've looked closer before he attempted the U-turn - For His Own Personal Safety (since people are so casual these days about obeying traffic laws).
But, the SAPD declared it an 'accident' and made the decision not to cite the driver OR the motorcycle officer... probably because They Were There... and not speculating based on a media web site. ;-)
I'm just happy the motorcycle officer will be OK and nobody else got hurt.
Oh yeah - since I know nobody has their "Texas Driver's Education Manuals" handy:
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/TN/htm/TN.545.htm
"Sec. 545.156. VEHICLE APPROACHED BY AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE. (a) On the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle using audible and visual signals that meet the requirements of Sections 547.305 and 547.702, or of a police vehicle lawfully using only an audible signal, an operator, unless otherwise directed by a police officer, shall:
(1) yield the right-of-way;
(2) immediately drive to a position parallel to and as close as possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any intersection; and
(3) stop and remain standing until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed.
(b) This section does not exempt the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway."
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Permalink....and NO NIXLE alert was broadcast ! ! !
There is no consistency, apparently NO ESTABLISHED PROTOCOL within the SAPD for warning thee public.
And now we are to trust a upgrade to this software for our storm warnings !?!?!
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