Officer recovering from Sept. 29 crash

Friday, October 12, 2012

Nevada Daily Mail

Nevada Police Officer Pam Miller, one of three people injured in a Sept. 29 crash at U.S. 54 and Business 71, is expected to return to duty soon.

Miller, 45, suffered minor injuries in the four-vehicle crash that happened at 5 p.m. that day, while Miller was responding to a report of a disturbance in the Wal-Mart parking lot involving a suspect who may have been armed, Nevada Police Chief Graham Burnley said Thursday.

Daniel Charvat, 54, of Oxford, Kan., suffered moderate injuries and and Eunice Odhiambo, 20, of Nevada, suffered minor injuries. Miller, Charvat and Odhiambo were transported to Nevada Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Besides Miller's police cruiser, a 1999 Buick LeSabre driven by Odhiambo, a 2008 Honda Goldwing motorcycle driven by Charvat, and a 2007 Kawasaki motorcycle driven by Larry Weaver, 46, of Wichita, Kan., also were involved in the crash.

According to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Miller was responding to the emergency call with her lights and sirens on when when she approached an intersection controlled by a traffic signal. Miller slowed and proceeded through the red light at the intersection and struck Odhiambo's vehicle. The impact forced the Buick into Charvat's motorcycle, which was then forced into Weaver's motorcycle.

The patrol said all three drivers were wearing proper safety devices.

Miller's police vehicle was listed as a total loss and was towed from the scene, along with Odhiambo's extensively damaged Buick. Both motorcycles were driven from the scene with minor damage.

Burnley said that video from the in-car camera had been reviewed and confirmed that Miller was on an "authorized Code 3 call," which means it's an emergency that warrants a lights-and-sirens response, since the report of a disturbance involved a suspect who may have been armed.

"She followed procedures to the letter," Burnley said, adding that it's fortunate none of the victims were more seriously hurt and that Miller's injuries weren't severe.

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