A Mission woman who is eight months pregnant was in a crash involving an Abbotsford Police cruiser on its way to an emergency call on Sunday afternoon.
According to police, the cruiser was southbound on Riverside Street, and had its emergency lights and sirens activated. It was a marked Ford Crown Victoria. The officer, a two-and-a-half year member of the APD, was responding to an emergency call that came in at 2:18 p.m.. The call was a single-vehicle rollover accident in which the driver of a Toyota 4Runner was trapped inside the SUV, at Sumas Way and Highway 11.
The police vehicle approached a red light at Riverside Street and Harris Road, was unable to come to a complete stop and continued into the intersection. An Audi A6, driven by a 28-year-old expectant mother from Mission, was westbound on Harris Road with the green light in that same intersection. The Audi collided with the rear driver’s side of the police vehicle.
Both the driver and her 17-year-old female passenger did not appear injured, but were examined as a precaution.
The police officer was also not hurt.
The driver of the 4Runner, a 37-year-old woman from Abbotsford, was able to get out of her vehicle safely.
"We're relieved nobody was injured," said APD Const. Ian MacDonald.
This cruiser collision is being investigated by the APD. MacDonald said the reasons the cruiser could not stop at the intersection will be given following a detailed response from the officer and work by the department's traffic reconstructionists.
However, he said wet conditions likely contributed to the accident, and there were eight weather-related collisions reported to police over Saturday and Sunday. He said a bout of warm weather followed by rain can cause roads to be oily and slippery.
Several witnesses were on scene and provided statements to police. Police would like to appeal to any witnesses who have not yet come forward to contact the Abbotsford Police at 604-859-5225.