A U.S. Secret Service motorcycle officer was critically injured Tuesday morning in a crash with another vehicle in Northwest Washington, with the collision happening just after 6:30 a.m. in the 3100 block of Connecticut Avenue NW. The driver of the other vehicle was also hurt, and both people were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Crash Site Sits Near National Zoo Entrance
The crash happened near the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Devonshire Place, close to the National Zoo, according to FOX 5 DC. First responders rendered medical aid to the critically injured officer at the scene, the station reported. As reported by WJLA, drivers in the area should expect delays while the investigation continues.
NBC4 Washington reported that the officer was riding a motorcycle at the time of the crash and was taken to a hospital for treatment, while the driver of the other vehicle was also hospitalized. The outlet's report noted that it was not yet clear exactly how the crash happened. By 8:45 a.m., one lane had reopened, though the investigation was still ongoing, per the same account.
Cause of the Collision Still Unclear
Neither the circumstances that led to the crash nor the full scope of the officer's injuries have been detailed in reporting so far. The uncertainty echoes a 2016 incident in which a Uniformed Secret Service officer on a motorcycle was struck by a passenger car at 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW near the White House, as documented by The Washington Post. In that earlier case, the officer reportedly had to wait 14 minutes for a paramedic and ambulance to arrive on scene, according to a separate NBC4 Washington report.
The stretch of Connecticut Avenue near the zoo has seen serious crashes before. In one earlier incident outside the National Zoo, seven people were taken to hospitals, including three with life-threatening injuries, NBC4 Washington has reported. Tuesday's crash remains under investigation, and no further details on how it occurred have been released.
