NEAR FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) – Questions have arisen after a nasty cruiser crash near Fort Lauderdale, involving two Broward Sheriff’s Office squad cars and an SUV, that sent a deputy and two other people to the hospital.
BSO deputies and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the crash at the intersection of Sunrise Boulevard and Northwest 31st Avenue, just after 6 p.m.
According to officials, the two BSO units were responding to a separate call when the crash occurred.
Eyewitnesses described what they saw to 7News.
“This lady was not in the wrong, right here, in this car,” said Alyssa, a witness. “It hit like, literally like, right there at the back end of the police car, it circled around, and before it came to a complete stop, it hit the second police officer car.”
All three vehicles were badly damaged. The bumper of one of the patrol cars was ripped off, and the front of the SUV was crushed.
“The police ran the red light,” said Alyssa.
Alyssa said she was in the back of a Lyft when she heard sirens and saw the impact.
She took issue with what first responders did.
“Immediately they went to check only on the officers and continued to still, after checking on the officers, run past the civilian’s car, not check on them,” said Alyssa, “and they didn’t get to that lady maybe about two minutes, after I’m yelling at them from the road like, ‘Hey, you need to check on this car. Why are you guys not checking on this car?’ That is unacceptable.”
“When she started screaming is when they realized they had to check on the person. It’s not right; it could be me,” said another witness.
The witness said two people in the SUV were shaken up and taken away on stretchers.
Investigators said all three people who were injured were transported to a local hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening.
All three vehicles involved remained at the crash site late into the night, as investigators pieced together how the crash occurred.
As of Friday night, BSO officials said the incident remains under investigation.
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