Car passenger critically hurt in collision with Lakeville squad
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A passenger in a car was critically hurt when his vehicle was struck at an intersection by a Lakeville police officer on patrol in his squad, officials said Friday.
The collision about 10 p.m. Thursday involved a police SUV and a car at the intersection of S. Cedar Avenue and 205th Street, according to the State Patrol.
The patrol identified the critically injured passenger as Jose Leonardo Rodriguez, 31, of St. Paul. Rodriguez, who was taken to HCMC by emergency responders, did not have on a seat belt, the patrol said.
Police officer William Joseph Lehman, 26, was heading north on Cedar and struck the southbound car as it "was turning left and turned in front" of the squad, a patrol statement read.
The patrol, which is leading the investigation, has yet to say who had the right of way at the intersection.
Injured but not requiring hospitalization were the car's driver, 23-year-old Jose Reynaldo Diaz, of Burnsville, and passenger Osmin Edgardo Diaz Lopez, 19, also of Burnsville, the patrol said.
Police Chief Brad Paulson said his officer had minor injuries and also did not need hospitalization. The officer and the other two in the car all had on their seat belts, the patrol noted.
The patrol, which is leading the investigation, has yet to say who had the right of way at the intersection.
Paulson said that Lehman was traveling without his emergency lights of sirens activated when the collision occurred.
The chief said there are no traffic lights or stop signs at the intersection, so "there wouldn't be any reason for the officer to be stopping. But we really don't want to place blame until we get things shaken out."
