On Monday, March 5, a car driven by an intoxicated motorist collided with an Appleton squad car. The police officer was outside the vehicle investigating another traffic accident.
The incident happened around 5:30 p.m., according to police reports. An officer was on the scene on South Oneida Street, responding to an earlier accident. His squad car was parked in the inner lane of southbound S. Oneida, north of State 441. The vehicle’s lights were flashing.
A 69-year-old woman stopped behind the officer’s vehicle and sideswiped it while trying to pass it. Police later tracked down the offending vehicle at the Kwik Trip convenience store at the intersection of Oneida Street and Meadow Grove.
The driver was arrested. The woman received traffic citations for drunken driving and unsafe lane deviation.
No one was injured. The squad car sustained minor scrapes to the right rear quarter panel and door area.
The Appleton car accident attorneys and staff at the law firm of Hupy and Abraham are grateful that there were no injuries from this incident. We would like to point out an important lesson for us all: car accidents can happen anywhere, at any time. Even the best-prepared driver can be the victim of a drunk-driving accident or a collision with truck that has suddenly had its steering system fail. Preparedness only accounts for a portion of the explanation for why some people escape with minor injuries after a traffic accident. Other important factors include luck and maintaining a cool head in a crisis.