Video of Squad Car Accident, Area Trucker Charged

ROGER KING, KOEL-AM (VIDEO OF ACCIDENT WITH SQUAD CAR)

AN ARLINGTON TRUCK DRIVER IS BEING CHARGED WITH CAUSING AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A SHERIFF'S SQUAD CAR, WHICH WAS CAUGHT ON VIDEO AND PLAYED BACK AT NEWS OUTLETS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

IT HAPPENED LAST FRIDAY, MARCH 14TH, JUST BEFORE 7AM IN INTERSTATE 80 NEAR OXFORD.
IOWA STATE TROOPERS AND JOHNSON COUNTY DEPUTIES WERE STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, INVESTIGATING A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT.

A SEMI, DRIVEN BY 49 YEAR OLD MICHAEL SMITH OF ARLINGTON, DID NOT SLOW WHEN HE APPROACHED THE CRASH SCENE, REARENDING A PICKUP DRIVEN BY 45 YEAR OLD DANA MILLER OF ELDRIDGE. THE IMPACT SENT THE PICKUP, PARTIALLY AIRBORNE, BETWEEN THE STOPPED SHERIFF'S VEHICLE AND A STATE PATROL CAR, HITTING THE BACK OF THE TROOPER'S CAR, AND NARROWLY MISSING THREE OFFICERS, WHO WERE STANDING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR.

A STATE TROOPER, JESS HERNANDEZ, WAS SITTING IN THE CAR AT THE TIME; HE WAS TAKEN TO UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS, TREATED AND RELEASED FOR MINOR INJURIES.

SMITH, THE SEMI DRIVER, IS CITED FOR FAILING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE.
THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUGHT ON VIDEO, FROM A CAMERA MOUNTED IN A JOHNSON COUNTY SQUAD CAR.

ACCORDING TO JOHNSON COUNTY SHERIFF LONNY PULKRABEK, WHO RELEASED THE VIDEO TO THE MEDIA, THIS IS A GLARING EXAMPLE OF HOW THREE OFFICERS WERE NEARLY STRUCK AND KILLED, AND WHY DRIVERS SHOULD SLOW DOWN WHEN APPROACHING AN ACCIDENT SCENE.

-0-