Driver allegedly ignoring emergency sirens, red light and collides with police car

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - A police car in San Rafael collided with another vehicle Saturday afternoon when a driver failed to heed to emergency sirens and lights as the patrol car sped to a call, police said.   

Just after 3 p.m., an officer was driving with emergency lights and siren to an in-progress domestic violence situation, police said. The officer was heading west on Fifth Avenue approaching the intersection at Irwin Street in downtown San Rafael.  

According to police, emergency preemption had been employed and had turned the westbound Fifth Avenue traffic signal to green while turning the Irwin Street signal to red. As the patrol car entered the intersection, a vehicle traveling north on Irwin Street allegedly ignored the emergency lights, siren and red traffic signal and went into the intersection as well and the vehicles collided.   

The driver of the vehicle was not injured and the officer had a minor injury, police said.   

Drugs or alcohol are not suspected in the crash and no one was arrested.   

"This serves as a reminder to yield and stop for emergency vehicles using emergency lights and sirens, it's the law," said the San Rafael Police Department on social media Saturday night.