A man was seriously injured after a car accident involving the Albuquerque police chief, and he and his wife want answers.
On February 17, Todd Perchert, 55, was driving east on Central Avenue in his ’66 Mustang when APD Chief Harold Medina ran a red light and crashed into him with his patrol car while trying to escape from the police. shots.
‘It was so fast. “I don’t think I even had time to prepare for it,” Todd told the local ABC affiliate. KOAT.
Todd inherited the car from his father, who died a few months before the accident. He had spent thousands of dollars restoring the family heirloom, only to have it destroyed in an instant.
He was left with a broken collarbone and shoulder blade, eight broken ribs, a collapsed lung, lacerations to his left ear and head, and multiple cuts to his face.
Todd Perchert, 55, was driving east on Central Avenue in his ’66 Mustang when APD Chief Harold Medina ran a red light and crashed into him.
Medina said he was running away from gunfire before crashing into Perchert.
Perchert was left with a broken collarbone and shoulder blade, eight broken ribs, a collapsed lung, lacerations to his left ear and head, and multiple cuts to his face.
The survivor underwent surgery that lasted seven hours and was hospitalized with epidural painkillers and a chest tube for almost a week.
“It’s been a constant pain since the accident,” Perchert told KOAT. “I haven’t driven much since the accident.”
Medina and his wife, who was in the passenger seat, were unharmed.
Video footage of the crash shows Medina crashing into Todd after running a red light in a black pickup truck.
Medina said he was trying to get away from gunshots coming from a man fighting on the sidewalk next to his parked truck.
‘I clearly remember seeing the green light before going through the intersection. “Then all of a sudden I saw a black truck come out of nowhere and hit me on the driver’s side,” Perchert said.
Todd said his recovery will take time, but he is grateful to be alive.
‘I thank God every day that Todd is still here. It is by the grace of God that he is sitting here today,” his wife, Danielle, told KOAT.
On March 27, Perchert and his wife held a press conference following the car accident. The family, still reeling from the incident, is seeking to hold the Albuquerque police chief accountable.
‘As a military veteran, I appreciate the men and women who work in the military and law enforcement. They are not easy jobs and require a lot of sacrifice and dedication. “I have great respect for our law enforcement,” Todd said at the conference.
“However, I am disappointed by the actions of our police chief and Mayor Tim Keller’s reaction in praising the chief’s decisions.”
“The boss personally endangered the lives of others, seriously injured my husband, and stood there laughing and smiling as if none of this had just happened. That behavior is not worthy of praise,” Danielle said.
“To make matters worse, the mayor praised the chief’s actions, that made me sick.”
Mayor Tim Keller expressed gratitude after the accident.
‘This goes beyond what is expected of a boss. And I’m grateful for Harold Medina,” Keller said.
“Whether it was our city or the people he helped or potentially the lives he saved because of the shooting that was going on, we all owe him a debt of gratitude today.”
Todd and Danielle are pursuing legal action in the form of a civil lawsuit and claim against the city and the police department. They and their attorney claim that Medina violated both state and departmental laws and operating procedures.
Todd and Danielle are pursuing legal action in the form of a civil lawsuit and claim against the city and the police department.
Mayor Tim Keller expressed gratitude after the accident.
James Tawney (pictured) will represent the Percherts in court
Todd said his recovery will take time, but he is grateful to be alive.
On March 27, Perchert and his wife held a press conference following the car accident.
An internal investigation is underway to determine whether policies were followed and an accident review board will assess whether the tragedy was preventable.
‘I don’t know why the New Mexico State Police didn’t investigate this, unlike our police department. I mean, that’s the first question,” said Perchert’s attorney, James Tawney.
‘This is my family, you know, I’m sorry, but how would you have reacted if it was your spouse or someone in your family?’ “Someone would have been held accountable,” Danielle said.
According to an APD official, an internal investigation is underway to determine whether policies were followed and an accident review board will evaluate whether the tragedy was preventable.