Accident at the biggest intersection in Reykjavík last night
A lot of police cars came to the scene last night. mbl.is/Ólafur
There was a high level of alertness at the intersection of Miklubraut and Kringlumyrarbraut at eight o'clock last night following a collision between a pick-up truck and a police car.
A considerable number of police cars were around the area, but among them were several unmarked cars and motorbikes.
Then ambulances and an equipment truck from the fire brigade of the capital area were called out.
A police officer was stuck in the car
Unnar Már Ástþórsson, Chief Inspector of the police in the capital area, explains this high level of preparedness primarily because a report came from the police officers themselves that the collision was very severe and that it soon became clear that a police officer was trapped in the police car.
The Chief Inspector at the police in the capital area says he cannot rule out that the preparedness was greater since police officers were involved. mbl.is/Ólafur
He also says that this is the largest intersection in the country, and that's why a lot of people are often sent to the scene. It was known at the beginning that there had been possible injuries to people in the other car. When everything was considered it looked like a very serious accident, which fortunately was not the case.
He says, however, that he cannot rule out that there was more preparedness since police officers in a police car were involved.
Heading for a serious call
Ástþórsson says the collision was not related to another police matter, there was no pursuit or anything else of that nature. However, the police car was on its way to a serious call when the collision occurred.
When asked, he says that there are a lot of unmarked cars in traffic today and that the traffic department came on bikes to direct the traffic.
"It takes quite a lot of manpower to protect the work area. We have people working there and it's fast at this intersection and unfortunately, it's like that at this intersection that drivers don't always respect our work area, which means we have to fence it off well."
The pickup truck was badly damaged and a police officer had to be cut out of the police car. mbl.is/Ólafur
It took a while to cut the policeman out
However, the public did not have any problems yesterday.
"It took some time to cut the policeman out and get these three people to the hospital and work on the field investigation itself," he says.
It turned out better than expected and most people escaped with minor injuries, but the police officer who was cut out of the car suffered a minor fracture.
