Female passenger injured after Watertown police officer crashes while in pursuit

A Watertown Police Department marked patrol vehicle was involved in a crash on Monday afternoon, according to a news release from the police department.

A citation is pending against the unidentified officer who was driving the vehicle, per the release.

The officer suffered minor injuries, while a passenger in the other vehicle was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.

The crash was at 2:50 p.m. when the police vehicle, a Ford Police Interceptor, ran through a red light while pursuing another vehicle that was going over the speed limit, according to the release. The police vehicle was heading west on Third Avenue North. The officer had activated his emergency lights and siren, according to the release.

The other car, a Chevy Traverse, was southbound on 11th Street Northeast and had a green light at the intersection of Third Avenue and 11th Street, according to the release, That's where the two vehicles collided.

A female passenger of the Chevy Traverse was taken to Prairie Lakes hospital, while the officer had minor injuries from the deployment of the airbags and was not taken to a hospital.

Because a Watertown Police Department vehicle was involved in the crash, the South Dakota High Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash to determine whether traffic laws were violated. The investigation is ongoing.

The Watertown Police Department determined through an internal investigation that the officer had violated departmental policies, with administrative disciplinary action being taken against him in accordance with city and police department policies, according to the release.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Watertown, SD police officer was involved in vehicle crash Monday