Vehicle collides with OPP cruiser at scene of crash in York Region, officer injured

Officials say an Ontario Provincial Police officer was injured Sunday after a vehicle crashed into their cruiser while they were assisting a driver in York Region.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the collision happened around 9 a.m. on Highway 404 near Bloomington Road.

Schmidt said officers were responding to numerous crashes in the area due to icy road conditions.

“As one of the officers was out attending to one of those vehicles that had crashed, another vehicle slammed into the back of the police vehicle,” he said.

Photos posted to Twitter show extensive damage to the police cruiser and the other vehicle.

Schmidt said the police vehicle had lights flashing at the time of the incident and the officer was sitting inside.

Both the officer and the driver had to be taken to hospital, but have since been released.

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“When we have emergency responders, emergency vehicles, and tow trucks on-scene already, drivers need to be that much more alert and aware of possible dangerous conditions,” Schmidt said.

He said charges are pending against the driver, but it is unclear what charges they are facing.

“As other drivers and motorists are approaching, you are required by law to slow down and move over.”

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“When you see stopped emergency vehicles … they’re dealing with a situation that is focusing their attention on the circumstances around that,” he said.