Man's first crash: Broadsiding Cedar Rapids police car

UPDATE: One driver's first accident was a doozy.

Because the other driver was a police officer.

A Cedar Rapids police squad car was broadsided by a sport-utility vehicle around 6:40 a.m. Monday at the corner of Mount Vernon Road and Memorial Drive SE. An ambulance responded, but no one needed medical treatment.

Lt. Kenneth Washburn said the police officer was southbound on Memorial Drive SE and was proceeding through a red light when the eastbound SUV slammed into the rear passenger side door, knocking out the window.

Washburn said the officer was en route to a medical call nearby, and the car's lights and sirens were activated.

The driver of the SUV, a 26-year-old male, said it was the first accident of his life. There is a hill up to the intersection that hid the police car until it was too late, he said. He said he hit his brakes and swerved, but it didn't matter.

“My first accident, and it's with a cop,” he said, shaking his head.

Names of the drivers were not immediately released.

The officer investigating the accident declined to say if either driver would receive a ticket.