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Tempe police officers hurt in wrong-way crash in Phoenix

Posted at 2:26 PM, Nov 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-04 16:26:20-05

PHOENIX (AP) - Authorities say an early morning crash on a Phoenix freeway involving Tempe police was caused by a wrong-way driver.

Tempe police said Monday that a sergeant and an officer suffered minor and non-life-threatening injuries in the 1:45 a.m. collision on State Route 51.

The suspect driver was hospitalized for serious injuries.

Police spokesman Greg Bacon says the officers were driving separately to investigate a missing person's case.

They were not using their emergency lights or sirens at the time.

Bacon says the sergeant's vehicle collided with the car near the Indian School Road exit.

The collision also impacted the other officer's vehicle.

Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves says investigators believe impairment was a factor.

The crash shut down lanes in both directions for several hours.