In the early morning haze of New Year's Day, as revelry faded to the murmur of dawn, a serious incident unfolded on the phoenix thoroughfares—an impaired driver crashed into an Arizona Department of Public Safety patrol SUV. The incident, which occurred around 5:45 a.m. near Interstate 17 and Dunlap Avenue, saw the police vehicle, with activated emergency lights, stationary because of an abandoned vehicle being towed away when it was impacted, as per the details shared by AZfamily.
Thankfully, no passersby or officers were injured, as the trooper in question was not present in the SUV at the crash's timing. The force of the collision was enough to shove the patrol SUV into the tow truck that was afore stationed to render assistance. "Neither the trooper nor the tow truck driver were hurt," as stated by KOLD. The driver of the car responsible for the clash was transported to the hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Focus now shifts to the investigation as the DPS troopers seek to unravel the circumstances leading up to this event. A close watch is being held on the possibility of impairment being a contributing factor, with details still unfolding as investigators piece together what led to the New Year's Day crash.
