PANAMA CITY — An officer totaled a patrol car Thursday while attempting to cut through parking spots at a local restaurant, according to Panama City Police Department crash reports.
Officer Loretta Tuning suffered “possible” injuries in the crash, the report stated. However, the 2011 Dodge Charger that she was driving was disabled with about $25,000 in damage.
No violations were listed against Tuning, but the report said she was driving in a careless or negligent manner. Absent criminal violations, said PCPD Chief Scott Ervin, officers do not issue citations on private property.
“If it would have been a civilian, we wouldn’t have issued a citation,” Ervin said.
According to PCPD, Tuning was driving through the parking lot of Chili’s, 845 E. 23rd St., at about 3 p.m. Thursday. She was headed toward the exit and looked to her right to check for other vehicles. The pillar separating the windshield and driver-side window obstructed her view of the light pole, and Tuning hit the power pole head-on, police reported.
The crash report does not specify how fast she was traveling, but it said the vehicle’s airbag did not deploy. The report also didn’t list any vehicle defects.
Police reported Tuning suffered “possible” injuries, which are less severe than “non-incapacitating.” The report does not indicate the officer was ticketed.
The patrol car was towed from the scene with disabling damage.
The light pole was not damaged, police reported.