Resident urges independent review after collision with police cruiser at Middlesex and School Street

A resident who spoke during public comment said a police cruiser struck their vehicle at the intersection of Middlesex and School Street near campus on March 26, 2025, and urged officials to order an independent review of emergency vehicle operations.

“I entered the intersection at Middlesex and School Street on a green light near campus,” the resident said, recounting that “a low police cruiser struck my vehicle while proceeding through a red light.” The speaker said the impact totaled both vehicles and deployed airbags.

The resident said the crash report contains conflicting claims from the officer and that they were “deemed at fault and not given any means to dispute” that finding. They asked that the city adopt clearer, independent review standards for collisions involving emergency vehicles in dense neighborhoods and near campus to preserve public trust.

The speaker also told the meeting there was no dash‑camera footage and no body‑camera footage of the crash. “The only footage produced was approximately 30 seconds of video showing a senior officer instructing the involved officer to turn their dash camera on and their body camera off after the scene,” the resident said.

The remarks were delivered as part of the public comment period; the transcript records no formal response, nor does it record any vote or staff directive taken in response to the request for independent review. The speaker framed the concern as an issue of transparency and accountability, saying it is “about emergency vehicle operations in dense neighborhoods, about independent review standards, and about maintaining public trust.”

No formal action or reply is recorded in the transcript. The resident’s request would require a follow-up by the meeting’s governing body or staff to establish whether an independent review will be opened or whether existing internal review procedures will be clarified.