Two police cars involved in separate crashes

Jen Lawson

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2004 | 9:39 a.m.

Metro Police cruisers were involved in two wrecks this morning -- one involving a speeding driver who allegedly ran a red light and another involving a brief chase.

An allegedly drunken driver heading east on Charleston Boulevard failed to stop at a red light at Lamb Boulevard about 5:20 a.m., colliding with a pickup truck preparing to turn left onto Charleston, Sgt. Chris Jones said.

The officer was heading through the intersection on a green light when the pickup collided with the officer's cruiser, police said.

The driver who went through the red light was not wearing a seat belt and suffered life-threatening head and chest injuries, Jones said.

The pickup truck driver and the officer were treated at a hospital for minor injuries and released. They were both wearing seat belts.

The other wreck happened shortly after 4:10 a.m., when an officer tried to pull over an erratic driver at Jones Boulevard and Washington Avenue.

The driver did not stop, police said, and the officer chased him. The fleeing car collided with a parked car and a police cruiser during the 2 1/2-mile pursuit. The driver tried to turn into a gated community near Tenaya Way and Lake Mead Boulevard and the officers blocked him in. He then rammed one of the police cars trying to escape, setting off the air bag, police said. The officer suffered a minor hand injury, police said.

The driver is being charged with attempted murder of a police officer, Jones said. The driver also was wanted for a misdemeanor warrant, police said. He suffered minor injuries.