Sioux Falls Police Car Involved in Crash After High-Speed Pursuit

It is the law to get out of the way of emergency vehicles with lights and sirens on. But sometimes it is hard to know what to do when you see that and it led to an accident in Sioux Falls.

According to Dakota News Now, a Sioux Falls Police car was involved in a crash while pursuing a suspect vehicle on Thursday afternoon.

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This vehicle had been an ongoing ordeal since early Thursday morning when officers pulled it over at around 5:00 am on suspicion of driving impaired. The driver then backed up and rammed the patrol car and drove off at high speed.

It turns out that the car was a rental that was to be returned on Wednesday and when it was not, the agency reported the vehicle as stolen.

Members of the Minnehaha Fugitive Task Force spotted the car Thursday afternoon and tried to pull it over. The car didn't stop and took off fast going south on Cliff Avenue. The officers continued the pursuit towards downtown.

A driver who was not involved in the chase heard the sirens and tried to get out of the way by stopping in the center lane. The suspect swerved quickly to dodge the stopped car but the officers following did not have enough time to swerve and collided with it. The stopped driver had no injuries as a result of the accident and was able to drive away, but the front end of the patrol car was heavily damaged and the officers sustained minor injuries.

The suspect was able to escape.

Spokesman Sam Clemons said that while they would normally not pursue a vehicle at high speeds in the city, in some instances they will if there is a possible danger to the public. A driver willing to ram a police car was the factor in this case that led them to follow in the pursuit.