Serious Crash Involving EPD Prompts Questions, Lessons
By: Jordan Vandenberge
Updated: December 18, 2012
If you've been in a car crash, you know it affects you mentally. Now just imagine crashing into your co-workers.
All day, every day, Evansville Police have at least a dozen squad cars on the streets. It's a simple game of probability; accidents are going to happen. But Evansville Police say that doesn't mean you can't learn from them.
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Evansville Police investigate accidents. Rarely are they involved in them.
"You're kind of on auto-pilot," Sgt. Jason Cullum said. "That changes when you show up to the accident scene and it's one of your coworkers."
Not just one co-worker, but three. Two EPD officers had to be taken to the hospital Monday night on a stretcher.
"The car that was southbound on Governor did not have a passenger," Sgt. Cullum said. "Had there been a passenger, I think this conversation would have turned out a little bit different."
Between the shattered glass and shards of a windshield, the pure impact of Monday's accident can still be seen a day later.
When it comes to emergency response, state law requires police to excercise due regard. It's a broad term, but it can have specific results without something as simple as a red octagon.
"Just because you have an accident, it doesn't mean you were driving without due regard," Sgt. Cullum said. "It means that the traffic control device put into place to prevent an accident was not there."
"There's no dispute that the stop sign was down when the officer going east on Sycamore went through the intersection. What we want to know is what kind of speed was involved and see if there's anything we can do to prevent this from happening again."
In the coming days, investigators will determine due regard through due process. In the mangled metal, there's a lesson you won't find in the academy.
"The passenger in the older police car is one of our new recruits," Sgt. Cullum said. "It was his 8th day on the job. No matter if you were on the force for four days or four years, once you get in that car, you're in the game."
The officers involved, Mark Decamps, Adam Will and Cameron Werne have all been released from the hospital. Sgt. Cullum says they will all be checked out physically and mentally before they can return to work.
All day, every day, Evansville Police have at least a dozen squad cars on the streets. It's a simple game of probability; accidents are going to happen. But Evansville Police say that doesn't mean you can't learn from them.
***
Evansville Police investigate accidents. Rarely are they involved in them.
"You're kind of on auto-pilot," Sgt. Jason Cullum said. "That changes when you show up to the accident scene and it's one of your coworkers."
Not just one co-worker, but three. Two EPD officers had to be taken to the hospital Monday night on a stretcher.
"The car that was southbound on Governor did not have a passenger," Sgt. Cullum said. "Had there been a passenger, I think this conversation would have turned out a little bit different."
Between the shattered glass and shards of a windshield, the pure impact of Monday's accident can still be seen a day later.
When it comes to emergency response, state law requires police to excercise due regard. It's a broad term, but it can have specific results without something as simple as a red octagon.
"Just because you have an accident, it doesn't mean you were driving without due regard," Sgt. Cullum said. "It means that the traffic control device put into place to prevent an accident was not there."
"There's no dispute that the stop sign was down when the officer going east on Sycamore went through the intersection. What we want to know is what kind of speed was involved and see if there's anything we can do to prevent this from happening again."
In the coming days, investigators will determine due regard through due process. In the mangled metal, there's a lesson you won't find in the academy.
"The passenger in the older police car is one of our new recruits," Sgt. Cullum said. "It was his 8th day on the job. No matter if you were on the force for four days or four years, once you get in that car, you're in the game."
The officers involved, Mark Decamps, Adam Will and Cameron Werne have all been released from the hospital. Sgt. Cullum says they will all be checked out physically and mentally before they can return to work.
