An Aurora police cruiser rushing to protect a student threatened with a knife never made it to the scene because a drunk driver failed to yield and slammed straight into the car. The collision was violent enough to flip the patrol car onto two other cars.
According to the Aurora Police Department, the crash happened just after 4 p.m. on Sept. 8 in Colorado. Two officers were responding to a fight at a local middle school, one that involved a student being threatened with a knife. Police say those are exactly the kinds of calls that require lights and sirens.
The officers never got there. As they cleared the intersection at South Peoria Street and East Yale Avenue, 32-year-old Anthony Robinson, driving while intoxicated, failed to yield and T-boned the patrol vehicle, causing it to overturn onto two other cars nearby.
Robinson initially tried to flee the scene, but police found him less than a block away and took him into custody. Inside his vehicle, officers found an empty bottle of liquor and drug paraphernalia.
Injured Officers
Both officers involved in the crash were taken to the hospital for minor injuries and have since been released. Police credited several bystanders who stopped to help at the scene and thanked them directly in their post. You can see drivers of the cars hit get out to help; no one else was hurt.
Despite the crash, police still responded to the original emergency. It was confirmed that they later located and arrested the teenager involved in the middle school knife threat.
Robinson’s Charges
Robinson was arrested on probable cause of driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a crash involving injury, failure to yield right of way to an emergency vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, and driving without insurance.
Police said they shared footage of the crash not for shock value, but to remind drivers to yield when they see emergency lights and sirens, since delays like this can have serious consequences for people in real danger.
People Online Gave Some Advice
Several people took to the comment section to point out that traffic signal color doesn’t negate the legal requirement to yield to emergency vehicles, noting Colorado law requires drivers to slow down and yield once lights and sirens are active. Others added that drivers should stay cautious even after one emergency vehicle passes, since others may be following closely behind.
There was also plenty of praise for the bystanders who stopped to help, with several expressing gratitude that people still stepped in during an emergency instead of just recording it, calling it a rare and reassuring sign of decency.