Ocala Police Department investigates crash involving patrol car on W. Silver Springs Blvd.
An Ocala Police Department officer who was injured in a crash while on duty Monday has been released from the hospital.
Officer Isaac Mercer, 30, has been with the department for two years. He is a patrol officer and a school resource officer.
Authorities said although they have a video recording of the crash, they are not yet releasing it because an investigation is ongoing and they are trying to determine exactly what happened.
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About 5:15 p.m. Monday, Ocala Police said, Mercer was responding to a routine call to assist another officer. He was driving south on Southwest 23rd Avenue and came to a complete stop at the crosswalk before crossing West Silver Springs Boulevard.
Officers said the crash occurred as Mercer passed the eastbound lane. They said the officer had not activated his lights or siren.
Two other vehicles were involved in the crash. A woman who was driving a Saturn east on West Silver Springs Boulevard T-boned the passenger's side of the officer's cruiser. And a man driving a Kia Sedona was at a stop sign when his car was hit.
'Thankfully, no one involved was seriously injured.'
Mercer's patrol vehicle had extensive damage and Ocala Fire Rescue officials had to use equipment to remove the doors to extricate the officer.
Police officers said the woman, whose name was not released, was taken to a local hospital, where she was treated and later released. The man, whose name also was not released, did not go to the hospital, officials said. Both the man and woman are from Ocala.
"Thankfully, no one involved was seriously injured. We're overwhelmed with gratitude for all of your thoughts, prayers, and concern for our officer and the two citizens involved. We are continuing to investigate this crash and if we determine our officer is at fault, then he will be held accountable," OPD said in a statement.
Last year, the city paid $125,000 to settle a legal claim after an officer struck a man's vehicle on Southeast 17th Street at 22nd Avenue.
Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118, austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala police car crash prompts investigation by department
