Three people, including a Thornton police officer, were in serious condition and a fourth person was in critical condition Saturday following an early-morning crash in which a driver allegedly ran a flashing red light.
A fifth person sustained minor injuries. The names of the injured people were not released.
At 2:51 a.m, a Thornton officer was driving west on East 100th Avenue when a 1998 Plymouth Neon going north on York Street allegedly ran a flashing red light and broadsided the patrol car, said Matt Barnes, Thornton police spokesman.
The Neon rolled onto its top on the road after it knocked the patrol car into a field.
Inside the patrol car with the officer were two people receiving a “courtesy” ride. The officer had to be extracted from his vehicle before he could be taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
A 31-year-old woman, who was in the back seat of the patrol car, was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Barnes said. A 22-year-old man who was also in the back seat sustained minor injuries.
A 24-year-old man who was driving the Neon and a 32-year-old passenger, both from Thornton, were rushed to a hospital in serious condition, he said.
The accident was being investigated by the North Metro Technical Accident Investigation Team.
Charges were pending further investigation and toxicology results, Barnes said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
