JSO: Driver runs red light, hits unmarked police car

Police: Driver, 2 passengers fled, were caught; driver appeared impaired

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A police officer had to be extricated from his unmarked police cruiser after a driver, who might have been impaired, ran a red light at Rogero and Merrill roads on Wednesday, police said.

At 10:10 a.m. Wednesday, Officer Michael A. Jones was traveling westbound on Merrill Road with his blue lights and siren activated, responding to a reported accident on Arlington Expressway. A Ford Fusion traveling northbound on Rogero Road ran a red light at Merrill Road and slammed into the driver's door of Jones' cruiser, police said.

The impact caused the cruiser to spin and hit a Nissan Sentra, which was also traveling westbound on Merrill Road.

The female driver of the Fusion and two male passengers fled into the produce market at the corner of Merrill and Rogero roads. Officers responding to the crash found and detained the three.

Detectives investigating the crash found what appears to be an empty bottle of liquor and a flask with an unknown liquid inside in the Fusion.

"In interviewing the driver of the black Ford, the driver had indicators of impairment, so we are looking into her impairment level, the other occupants confirmed she was the driver," JSO Sgt. D. Washington said.

Jones, who had to be pulled from his cruiser by rescue workers, was transported to UF Health with non-life-threatening injuries. After she was detained, the driver of the Fusion complained of soreness and was taken to UF Health with non-life-threatening injuries. The female driver of the Sentra was taken to Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash closed the westbound lanes of Merrill Road at Rogero Road. One northbound lane of Rogero Road was also closed and both southbound lanes of Rogero Road were diverted through an elementary school parking lot.

Charges are pending, but police said the driver of the Fusion will be at-fault in the crash.

"Any time you're on the road, if you have the green light, take a look, drivers aren't paying attention," News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said. "Someone could be going through. You want to use caution."

Smith said the next 24 hours will be the most dangerous for drivers on the road, because so many people get behind the wheel, even though they may be  impaired.
 
"This is the one time people are most intoxicated of all times, and unfortunately, even if people know better, they drive and say, 'I'm not quite that drunk,'" Smith said. "But you have more impaired drivers out now than any other time." 


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Tarik anchors the 4, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. weekday newscasts and reports with the I-TEAM.