A Cambridge Police Department patrol car collided with another vehicle and then slammed into the Genesis Food Market building on Washington Street, sending both drivers to the hospital. The crash happened while officers were racing to help fellow law enforcement respond to an urgent call.
Cambridge Police Capt. Shane Henson said officers from the Cambridge Police Department and the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office were en route to an officer needs assistance call when the collision occurred, according to The Star Democrat. The newspaper reported the crash occurred at the intersection of Washington Street and Academy Street at approximately 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, though WBOC put the time at around 1 p.m. at the same intersection.
Henson confirmed that two vehicles were involved — the patrol car and one other vehicle — according to the same account. Unconfirmed reports of a third vehicle circulated after the crash, but those claims were not substantiated.
Both Drivers Hospitalized After Impact
The driver of the police cruiser and the driver of the other vehicle were both transported by ambulance to the hospital for treatment, per the Star Democrat's reporting. The extent of their injuries was not immediately available. Airbags deployed inside the Cambridge Police Department vehicle during the crash.
WBOC's report offered additional detail on the other driver's condition, noting that person was trapped in their vehicle and had to be extricated before emergency medical crews took over care. That station also reported the other driver was flown to Shock Trauma in Baltimore, a detail that differs from the ambulance transport described in the Star Democrat's account.
Not a Pursuit, Police Say
Police told WBOC that the officer had lights and sirens activated at the time of the crash and that the incident was not a chase. The Maryland State Police Crash Team was on scene conducting the investigation as of Wednesday afternoon, the Star Democrat reported.
Photographs from the scene, provided by Star Democrat reporter Lily Tierney, showed the aftermath of the patrol car's impact with the Genesis Food Market building along Washington Street. No further details on the crash's cause or the drivers' identities have been released.
