A Raleigh police officer on a motorcycle collided with a gray Mercedes Sprinter van in downtown Raleigh earlier today, resulting in temporary road closures and an ongoing investigation. According to CBS17, the incident happened at around 7:48 a.m. near the intersection of W. Cabarrus Street and Gale Street. The officer, a 25-year veteran of the department, incurred injuries that were not life-threatening and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce confirmed at a press conference that the officer was riding during a routine patrol when the crash took place, engaging no enforcement action. The Raleigh Police Department have stated that the driver of the Sprinter van is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation, as reported in the CBS17 article.
Further details were shared by Chief Boyce, who mentioned that the officer, who has been assigned to the traffic unit for many years, is well-trained in motorcycle operation. "He knows how to ride a motorcycle, he is a great officer," Boyce told WRAL. A crash reconstruction team was dispatched to the scene to aid in answering questions about the circumstances of the collision.
While the officer's injuries were stated not to be serious, this event caused a temporary shutdown of the aforementioned intersection as the crash reconstruction unit worked to clear the scene. According to details provided by ABC11, road closures were expected to last approximately two hours as the investigation took place. The Raleigh Police Department will be looking to unravel what exactly happened to lead to the morning's traffic accident.
