Crash involving police cruiser injures two

A Waltham police officer and another driver suffered minor injuries Wednesday following a two-car crash involving a police cruiser.

The crash happened around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to police. The drivers of both vehicles were hospitalized.

Initially reported as taking place at the intersection of Totten Pond Road and Third Avenue,the Waltham Police Department later said the crash happened at the intersection of Totten Pond Road and Wyman Street.

According to the preliminary findings, the driver of a Toyota Camry was traveling through the intersection via Wyman Street with a green light while a police cruiser was stopped at a red light on Totten Pond Road.

During this time, the officer, identified as Phil O’Dowd, activated the cruiser’s emergency lights and entered the intersection to respond to a service call. The other driver saw the cruiser and tried to brake but was unable to do so in time, striking the police cruiser in the rear passenger door, causing it to roll over.

According to police, O’Dowd said he did not see the other car until the crash.

O’Dowd was able to exit the vehicle on his own and suffered minor injuries, including cuts from broken glass. He was transported to Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington. The driver of the Camry, a 30-year-old pregnant woman, sustained minor injuries and was taken to the same hospital.

Both individuals involved are expected to recover, according to a police statement.

Waltham resident Raelene Ford told The Waltham Times that she came across the scene while driving to work. She reported seeing a police cruiser that was flipped over, officers directing traffic and several emergency response vehicles in the area.

The crash caused significant traffic delays. The intersection and nearby ramps were closed for several hours as the Waltham Police Crash Reconstruction Unit investigated.

Police are still investigating the crash.