Three rushed to hospital following high-speed East Point police crash
East Point crash sends officer to hospital
An East Point police officer, a recruit and an elderly driver were transported to Grady Hospital after a police cruiser traveling to assist another officer crashed into a Toyota at Norman Berry Drive and Cleveland Avenue.
EAST POINT, Ga. - An East Point police vehicle collided with a passenger car at a busy intersection Monday while responding to an emergency with lights and sirens on.
What we know:
Officers were traveling southbound on Norman Berry Drive with emergency equipment activated to assist a colleague who was with a suspicious person with an active arrest warrant.
As the patrol vehicle entered the Cleveland Avenue intersection, it struck the passenger side of a silver passenger car moving westbound.
The impact knocked both vehicles off their original paths.
Emergency services responded to the scene, where medics placed the officer onto a stretcher and loaded him into an ambulance.
The officer appeared to be alert during the transport, according to FOX 5 Atlanta crews on the scene.
Multiple East Point police and emergency vehicles responded to the location to secure the area and launch an investigation.
Another vehicle was observed with a busted front end.
The Georgia State Patrol responded to the scene and is leading the ongoing investigation.
What they're saying:
"I just heard something go bang and tires squealing," said area resident Linda Reeves. "I came down here, and it was an accident between a cop car and the civilian car."
Reeves added that the police officers seemed to have gotten the worst of it after looking at his patrol vehicle. "His car is totally destroyed in the front," Reeves said.
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet released the exact number of occupants involved, their current medical conditions, or who had the right of way entering the intersection.
Investigators have also not confirmed the identity or status of the suspicious person from the original call.
What's next:
The Georgia State Patrol has taken over the investigation because the crash involved an East Point police officer. Investigators will work to determine the official cause of the wreck.
The Source: The information in this article comes from FOX 5 Atlanta crews on the scene. This story has been updated since it was originally published.