Officer injured as his parked car hit

Jace Radke

Friday, Oct. 1, 1999 | 10:14 a.m.

A Metro Police officer writing a report on a fender-bender became part of another report when a car rear-ended his cruiser and sent him flying Thursday evening.

Officer Darell Flenner, 31, had responded to an accident near the intersection of Flamingo Road and Miller Lane, just west of Buffalo Drive, and was finishing his report at about 6:10 p.m.

Flenner had parked his patrol car in the right travel lane of westbound Flamingo and was using the hood of his car as a desk, Sgt. Fred Weigand said.

A Ford Taurus, driven by Donald Olsen, 69, was heading west on Flamingo and slammed into the back of the patrol car, causing Flenner's car to rotate and knock him about 10 to 12 feet away, Weigand said.

"Another driver who witnessed the accident said the setting sun was in his eyes as he headed west on Flamingo, and that it was probably in the Taurus driver's eyes to," Weigand said. "But just because the sun is in your eyes doesn't relieve you of the responsibility to see where you're going."

Flenner was taken to University Medical Center, where he was treated for minor injuries and released. Olsen was taken to Summerlin Hospital for minor injuries.

The patrol car's emergency lights were on at the time of the accident, Weigand said. Olsen had blood drawn for a blood alcohol test at the hospital, he said.

"He (Olsen) admitted to us that he had a couple of drinks about an hour before the accident, so his alcohol level will be checked," Weigand said.

No charges have been filed against Olsen, who was released from the hospital. If his alcohol level was over the legal limit, he'll be charged with a DUI, but if it wasn't, he'll just be cited for the accident, Weigand said.