Officer-Involved Crash Kills 1 in SW Oklahoma City

A wreck involving an Oklahoma City police officer has left one person dead, according to Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary Knight.

Thursday, July 29th 2010, 8:21 am

By: News 9


By Jon Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A wreck involving an Oklahoma City police officer has left one person dead, according to Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary Knight.

Knight said the police officer who was involved in the crash at S.W. 29th Street and Indiana Avenue was not injured. The wreck happened at about 6 a.m. Thursday.

It is unclear how fast the police cruiser was going when he hit the other driver, but those who live in the area said it was certainly faster than the 35 mph posted speed limit.

"It looked like he hit it dead center, however he hit it, he hit it dead center," said Roderick Dockins, who witnessed the crash.

The officer hit the older Oldsmobile so hard the impact killed the driver.

According to Knight, the officer was on his way to a larceny call with no lights or siren, heading eastbound on S.W. 29th Street when the other vehicle pulled out in front of the officer's vehicle. Knight said the officer's lights and siren were not on because the call he was responding to by definition was not considered an emergency.

"That's pretty much standard protocol for a larceny-type call. Lights and sirens are typically used for life and limb calls. An emergency call is a shooting call, a stabbing call, something like that," Knight said.

In fact, police said more often than not, when their officers are responding to a call, very rarely do they use their lights and siren.

"That's certainly possible that an officer will exceed the speed limit driving to a call like that. If you are asking if it's possible, it's certainly possible," Knight said.

Police said lights and sirens are not always used during non-emergency calls because it is safer for the public.

"Whenever an officer's driving with his lights and sirens on it causes certain traffic issues. People are supposed to pull over to the right. They don't always do that, often times they will stop in front of you. So often times it creates a hazardous type situation," Knight said. "It can create some danger while you are doing it. Doesn't always but it can."

Knight said there is no way to tell whether the accident could have been avoided if the officer had been using his siren and lights.

No names have been released, pending notification of next of kin.

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