WEST PALM OFFICER HURT IN CRASH INTO SEMI
In critical condition, he was driving an unmarked car.
WEST PALM BEACH — A West Palm Beach officer was on duty and driving an unmarked police car when he sustained serious injuries in a wreck with a truck Monday night, authorities said Tuesday.
Officer Vincent Morton remained hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday at St. Mary’s Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said. He was flown there following the crash on the Beeline Highway west of Jog Road.
Morton, 36, has been with the West Palm Beach Department since October 2006, records show. Sgt. David Lefont, spokesman for West Palm Beach police, referred other questions to the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office, which is handling the crash investigation.
The crash occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. Monday. According to the Sheriff ’s Office, Morton drove a white Ford Crown Victoria into the rear of a semitrailer that had been involved in an unrelated crash.
According to the Sheriff ’s Office, the truck had been hit by a passing pickup, and its driver had pulled over to check the damage to his vehicle and the condition of the other driver.
Morton appeared not to notice that the semi was stopped in the outside westbound lane of the Beeline, about 1,000 feet west of the intersection, the Sheriff ’s Office said.
The semi’s driver, identified as Pavel Gomez Cruz, 42, got out and was standing behind his rig when he saw the Ford approaching, the Sheriff ’s Office said.
Cruz, 42, ran toward the shoulder of the road to avoid being hit. He was not hurt, the Sheriff ’s Office said. A place of residence for Cruz was not immediately available.
Witnesses told deputies that they recalled seeing that the semi’s hazard lights had been turned on prior to the crash.
According to the sheriff ’s crash report, neither drugs nor alcohol were factors in the crash.