Three Officers Injured After Parked Clearwater Police Cruisers With Their Emergency Lights Flashing Were Struck by Vehicles on the Courtney Campbell in Two Separate Crashes
Three Clearwater Police officers were injured this morning on the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
All the officers were transported and are being treated at Mease Countyside Hospital for minor injuries. The officers have been identified as Paul Bosco, Michael Beaver, and Kevin Vigh. All were treated and later released from Mease Countryside Hospital.
According to police, the initial call came in at 3:04 a.m. on Saturday, August 11, 2018, with a disabled vehicle in the westbound lanes of the causeway.
As one officer was on scene waiting for a tow truck to arrive, his car was struck from behind by a westbound 2011 Toyota Corolla at 3:24 a.m. The emergency lights on the officers 2018 Ford Explorer were on at the time. The driver of the Corolla has been identified as 33 year-old Joshua J. Mayer. He told officers he had looked down at his phone when he lost control of his vehicle.
There were no injuries in that crash.
Two other officers arrived on scene to investigate that crash, and 12 minutes later, another westbound car slammed into the rear of another cruiser on scene. That 2011 Ford Fusion was being driven by 24 year-old Billy E. Chatman III. He told officers he fell asleep at the wheel. Witnesses said he was speeding at the time of the crash.
The impact pushed both cruisers into one another, and all three officers on scene were struck either by the vehicles or flying debris.
The same 2018 Ford Explorer, a 2017 Ford Explorer and a 2010 Ford Crown Victoria were involved in that crash — all three police department vehicles
Both of those cruisers also had their emergency lights on.
Neither Mayer or Chatman was injured in the crash.
The driver of this car told officers he fell asleep before slamming into the back of one of our cruisers that was investigating another wreck caused by a driver not paying attention. pic.twitter.com/oZqNyVdPV1
— Clearwater Police Department (@myclearwaterPD) August 11, 2018
A total of five vehicles, three of them police cruisers, were damaged in the two crashes.
Each driver was cited with careless driving. Further charges could be forthcoming pending additional investigation.
Westbound lanes reopened ahortly after 8 a.m. following completion of the investigation.
