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TPD officers safe after nearly being hit by car while responding to call

Posted at 10:26 PM, Apr 14, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-15 00:11:39-04

TULSA, Okla. — A close call for two Tulsa police officers. They're safe after being nearly hit by a car while responding to an accident.

It happened Tuesday morning on the Broken Arrow Expressway, just west of 145th East Avenue.

Tulsa Police Officer Caleb Howell was called to the scene of a wreck westbound on the BA Expressway. A sedan collided with a semi-truck and the vehicles were blocking the left lane, next to the concrete barriers. Soon after arriving, Howell spoke with a TPD motorcycle unit officer who witnessed the wreck.

“As we’re standing there discussing it, we happen to see a vehicle in lane one, far enough down the road that it didn’t worry us," Howell said.

Howell’s emergency lights were on, but the driver coming toward them didn’t slow down.

“Eventually, it gets to the point where we’re directing him over, [but he's] not paying attention," Howell said.

The officers quickly realized the situation and jumped over the concrete barrier just in time.

“So, at that time, it’s a free for all basically to get out of the way and pray to God that debris or a car doesn’t come your way after the collision happened," Howell said.

Howell said the wreck happened just 48 seconds after he got out of his car. The driver rear-ended Howell’s car, which then hit the TPD motorcycle and the sedan in the original wreck. TPD said the vehicles are totaled.

“The force from the collision from behind me pushed my car further forward where it also collided with the rear of the silver car and ended up rotating my car from a westbound facing direction to an eastbound facing direction, so a 180-degree turn," Howell said.

TPD said Adrian Perez was the driver of the car that crashed into its vehicles. Police said Perez admitted to scrolling on an electronic device while driving and never saw the officers. He was arrested for DUI/drugs, inattentive driving and carrying a gun while intoxicated.


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