Police SUV hits car in Sadog Tasi; 2 hurt

Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services technicians try to secure the 63-year-old driver of a Toyota Corolla that was struck by a Department of Public Safety’s Chevy Tahoe at the Sadog Tasi traffic light intersection yesterday afternoon. The driver and his female passenger were hurt. (DFEMS)

Two civilians were hurt when a police vehicle hit their car at the intersection of Isa Drive and Chalan Pale Arnold Highway in Sadog Tasi near the Mobil gas station yesterday afternoon.

The car’s driver, a 63-year-old man, and his passenger, a 53-year-old woman, were brought by medics to the Commonwealth Health Center.

The driver complained of pain on his left side, while his passenger had pain on her left leg, according to Derek Gersonde, spokesman of the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

The driver and passenger of the Department of Public Safety’s Chevy Tahoe refused to be treated, Gersonde said.

DFEMS received a call from DPS 911 about the auto collision at the Sadog Tasi traffic light intersection at 2:01pm.

When DFEMS personnel arrived at the scene at 2:09pm, they came upon the DPS Chevy Tahoe and a red Toyota Corolla.

Gersonde said that, according to the driver of the Toyota Corolla, he was making a U-turn when the police vehicle hit their car on the front driver’s side.

Gersonde referred Saipan Tribune to the DPS public information officer for information as to the cause of the accident.

As of press time last night, DPS information officer Jacqueline Shepard has yet to provide information about the crash.

Last April 16, a car reportedly drifted into the opposite lane of the road and collided with a police patrol car in As Perdido.

The driver of the four-door Toyota Corolla was taken to CHC for minor injuries. He was released after being treated. He was given a traffic citation for the accident. The male police officer, who was the driver of the patrol car, was not injured.

Both vehicles had extensive damage on the front and front right side.

Last March 24, a Tagaman competitor from Japan was injured when his bicycle reportedly struck a car that collided with a police motorcycle at the intersection of Beach Road and Chalan Hagoi near Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Chalan Kanoa.

The driver of the car was cited for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, according to DPS.

The police officer and the vehicle’s passengers were not injured in the crash.

Meanwhile, DFEMS firefighters forcibly opened an elevator’s door at the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality Building in Gualo Rai to rescue two persons who were stranded inside the elevator yesterday at noon.

Firefighters used extrication tools to open the elevator’s door and free the two passengers.

The passengers were not injured, according to DFEMS.

DFEMS received the DPS 911 call at 12:25pm about two persons stuck in the BECQ building elevator.

The report did not mention how long the two passengers were stranded inside the elevator.