WESTERLO — A New York State Trooper went off the road in Westerlo Sunday morning, striking a tree and an embankment near where Route 85 intersects with Cass Hill Road, while they were responding to a cardiac-arrest call with their lights and sirens on. 

Troop G spokeswoman Stephanie O’Neil told The Enterprise that the trooper, whose name was withheld, was unharmed, and the accident did not affect the overall response time with the first EMS arriving on the scene just prior to the accident.

A University of Iowa study from 2018 found that police vehicles in that state were nearly twice as likely to be involved in a crash when in “emergency mode” — lights and sirens activated — than when not. Fire trucks and ambulances, however, were not any more likely to crash when responding to an emergency. 

Data from the New York State Department of Transportation shows that police in New York have been crashing their vehicles more frequently. The average number of crashes each year from 2018 to 2022 was 2,841, while the average from 2013 to 2017 was 1,913.

“Our primary concern is the safety of the public and our officers,” O’Neil told The Enterprise. “There are situations that require officers to exceed posted speed limits — such as responding to emergencies or pursuing suspects. 

“Officers are trained to weigh the urgency of the situation against the potential risks of high speeds. Each instance is subject to review and we are committed to maintaining accountability and upholding the trust of our community by ensuring that any action taken serves the best interest of public safety.