North Las Vegas police officer critically injured in crash — VIDEO
Update: The detective injured in the crash has died.
A North Las Vegas police officer is in critical condition after a head-on collision with a wrong-way driver Friday afternoon, police said.
The crash happened about 2 p.m. at North Martin Luther King Boulevard and Carey Avenue, according to North Las Vegas police. The officer, who had to be cut out of the vehicle, was taken to University Medical Center, where he was “fighting for his life” as of 9:15 p.m., police spokesman Aaron Patty said.
A woman who was driving the opposite way of traffic caused the crash, police said.
The woman was driving south on Martin Luther King Boulevard in the northbound lanes. The on-duty detective was driving north in the northbound lanes when the two collided head on, Patty said.
A third vehicle, a truck, was driving behind the detective heading north in the northbound Martin Luther King Boulevard lanes and was struck in the crash. The truck had minor damage, and the male driver suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalization, Patty said.
The woman was taken to University Medical Center, where she had been stabilized. As of 6:30 p.m., police did not have any word on her condition, though they said it wasn’t critical.
It was unclear as of 6:30 p.m. if speed or impairment were factors. Police also couldn’t confirm if the woman driving the wrong way experienced a medical episode before the crash.
The intersection was closed Friday night as police continued to investigate, but it was expected to reopen by about 11 p.m.
Patty said he’s seen support for the injured detective — his friend — from “across the nation.”
“I’ve seen other departments in other states praying for us,” he said. “It’s just been overwhelming, the support that we’ve seen. And we’re grateful for that.”
The support came locally too. At about 5 p.m., a separate, fatal crash happened within the confines of North Las Vegas, but the Metropolitan Police Department worked the crash instead of North Las Vegas in an effort to help.
“That’s just another sign of support right there — brothers in blue,” Patty said.
Review-Journal reporter Rachel Crosby contributed to this report. Contact Jessica Terrones at jterrones@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @JessATerrones on Twitter.
