Fort Myers, FL : One Person was killed after Police car strikes drainage ditch to avoids serious injury crash on Thursday , January 15th 2015

A police officer in an unmarked car managed to avoid a serious injury crash by taking evasive action and striking a drainage ditch, authorities said Thursday.

The crash happened at the corner of Winkler Avenue and Metro Parkway on Thursday afternoon. According to investigators a Hyundai was traveling westbound on Winkler at a high rate of speed.

The driver of the Hyundai lost control and crossed into the eastbound lanes of traffic, striking a Toyota, according to Lee County Sheriff's Office.

The occupants of both vehicles were transported to Lee Memorial Hospital and one of the occupants sustained life threatening injuries, authorities said.

The FMPD unmarked car was traveling behind the Toyota eastbound when the crash occurred, according to LCSO

The police vehicle took evasive action to avoid the crash and struck a drainage ditch on the south side of Winkler Avenue, according to LCSO.

Because the police vehicle did not strike either vehicle from the original crash, the police vehicle involved crash was treated as a second crash, LCSO says.

The Florida Highway Patrol was contacted and investigated the FMPD involved crash, authorities said.

Shortly after the crash happened, Fort Myers police said one of the vehicles involved in the crash was a police cruiser - and noted that that per departmental policy the Florida Highway Patrol would be investigating.

Police blocked the Center Pointe Drive and Winkler Avenue intersection for hours on Thursday and redirected traffic south on Center Pointe Drive.

The intersection of Winkler Avenue and Ford Street Extension was also shutdown and traffic was redirected south on Ford Street Extension.


source :
LCSO: Police car strikes drainage ditch, avoids serious injury crash