Two cop cars crash into each other during a demonstration of police driving techniques for visiting foreign dignitaries. You couldn’t make up a story like this for all the tea in China. In addition to a tour of the Houston Police Academy, the Chinese dignitaries were also given a tour of some Houston hospitals. By now, HPD has got to be a laughing stock throughout China.
This is how the Houston Chronicle led into the story: “Seven victims, five foreign dignitaries, two cars and one crash equaled a long list of red faces and a trunkload of embarrassment for city officials Tuesday morning. There was suspicion, as yet unconfirmed, that Hollywood was involved in the smash-up at the Houston Police Department driving track: Surely this was a scene from the upcoming POLICE ACADEMY 8: HEELS BEHIND THE WHEEL."
And here is the Hair Balls take on the story:
HPD VEHICLES COLLIDE IN WRECK AT POLICE ACADEMY WITH CHINESE DIGNITARIES
By Dale Lezon
Houston Chronicle
September 20, 2011
Seven people - including Chinese law enforcement dignitaries - were taken to the hospital following a squad car crash during a demonstration on the driving track at the Houston police academy near Bush Intercontinental Airport this morning.
The two-car wreck occurred at the Houston Police Department training academy at 17000 Aldine-Westfield about 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, said Victor Senties, an HPD spokesman.
Senties said two HPD officers as well as five Chinese law enforcement dignitaries were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. Six of the people were rushed to Northwest Medical Center while the other was taken to Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital. Police did not release their conditions. The names of the officers were not released.
The officers, who serve as driving instructors at the academy, were driving the police cruisers.
The Chinese dignitaries were at the academy to tour the facility and watch as well as participate in a driving demonstration on the track, Senties said. He said at some point during the demonstration, the two marked squad cars collided following a timing issue during a driving maneuver.
Senties said he couldn't discuss details of the maneuver because of security reasons regarding HPD driving techniques. He couldn't provide more details about the collision, except to note that it wasn't a head-on wreck.
However, during an unrelated press conference this morning, Houston police Chief Charles McClelland said he believed the accident occurred while the officers were demonstrating a U-turn.
The dignitaries were from Shen Zhen, China. Senties said it is a sister city of Houston.
HPD is investigating the crash.
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