New Baltimore Police Car Involved in Crash

A SUV struck a vehicle around 11:15 a.m. Monday, pinning the officer inside the squad car for about a half an hour.

Emergency responders immediately came to the scene at 23 Mile and Jefferson but the officer was eventually able to leave the vehicle without assistance from the Jaws of Life, New Baltimore Police Chief Tim Wiley said soon after.

Both the SUV driver and unidentified police officer are expected to be fine, Wiley said.

The investigation will be deferred to Michigan State Police, as protocol when departmental vehicles are involved in accidents. Also following policy, Wiley removed guns from the Traffic Enforcement Unit car and any sensitive material contained in the car before it was towed.

"The vehicle is actually decommissioned right there at the scene," he said.

Witness Paul Stevens, 28 of Shelby Township, was working on the air conditioning unit at when he heard the crash.

"It was a hard thump," Stevens said. "It sounded like lightning."

Stevens said a female driver in the SUV hauling an empty boat trailer crashed into the left side of the police car.

"It looks like he was just sitting there at the light," he said. "She just turned into the driver's side door."

Wiley declined to comment on the specifics of the crash. Further information was not immediately available as police conducted an investigation at the scene.

New Baltimore resident Ken Ward, 51, rode his bike to the crash scene to say a prayer.

"It's a good thing there was no boat on that thing," he said of the empty trailer.