Four injured in pileup involving two cop vehicles

One man critically injured

Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008 | 7:52 a.m.

Metro Police are continuing to investigate a multiple collision involving two unmarked police vehicles that critically injured the driver of a third vehicle Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas.

The driver of a 1999 Volkswagen Jetta that collided with both police vehicles, has not been identified, pending notification of relatives. That driver is in critical condition at University Medical Center Trauma, officers said.

A passenger in the Volkswagen, Juan Gamboa, 26, Las Vegas, was also admitted to UMC with moderate injuries, officers said.

The driver of a 2004 unmarked police Dodge pickup truck, Robert Bourque, 41, Las Vegas, was treated at UMC for moderate injuries and released. The driver of the unmarked police 2003 Nissan Maxima, Ryan Kraft, 33, Las Vegas, was treated at UMC for minor injuries, officers said.

Police said the accident occurred at 1:11 p.m. on Buffalo Drive, just south of Bauble Avenue.

Officers said that evidence and witness statements indicated that the unmarked police Dodge pickup truck was heading north, the wrong way, in the center travel lane of the southbound lanes of Buffalo Drive.

The unmarked police pickup truck was responding with its emergency equipment on to back up another police unit requesting assistance, officers said.

At that same time, the Volkswagen, which had just rammed the unmarked police Nissan and was traveling east on Bauble, was being chased by the Nissan, officers said. The Volkswagen didn't stop at the stop sign when it reached Buffalo and made a turn south, entering the center travel lane, officers said.

The Volkswagen then struck the Dodge police pickup truck that was going the wrong way in the center lane, officers said.

At that same time, the driver of the unmarked police Nissan, which was chasing the Volkswagen, also turned south onto Bauble. The unmarked police Nissan then crashed into the Volkwagen, which had just collided with the unmarked police pickup truck, officers said.

The collision remains under investigation by Metro's accident investigation detail, officers said.

Discussion: 2 comments so far…

By doogie

12/27/08 at 7:15 a.m.

Suggest removal

Too bad we didn't know this was happening in advance, because we could have sold tickets to this Demolition Derby. Cops driving the wrong way, slamming into a car twice. Wonder what the Spanish guys were doing wrong at one in the afternoon? Seatbelt?
By calvano915

1/2/09 at 9:34 a.m.

Suggest removal

This was a drug bust gone wrong. The Dodge was responding to two suspects trying to flee the sting that the Nissan was already involved in. Traffic was blocked on Buffalo so they went down the other way, just like any other emergency vehicle would do.