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New: Officer Injured in Crash with Car Full of Teenagers

By Bay City News
Monday April 12, 2010 - 03:40:00 PM

A Berkeley police officer was injured in a collision with another vehicle full of teenagers early Sunday, a sergeant said. 

The officer was traveling west on Haste Street at about 1:20 a.m. when a white sedan with five teenagers inside allegedly ran a red light at Telegraph Avenue and T-boned the officer's car, Berkeley police Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said. 

The white sedan hit a power pole after the collision and the patrol car hit the corner of a building at the northeast corner of Telegraph Avenue and Haste Street, Kusmiss said. 

Both cars were totaled, and the officer, a 20-year veteran, experienced neck and back pain. He was taken to an area hospital and released several hours later, according to Kusmiss. 

No one in the sedan was hurt, and the 17-year-old driver was not believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Kusmiss said. 

She added that everyone involved was lucky that no one was seriously injured and said the crash could have been much worse. 

"We're pleased that there were not more serious injuries to either the officer or the teenagers," Kusmiss said. 

The driver of the sedan was not cited or arrested, she said. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.