Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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A St. Paul police officer caused a collision between his squad car and a Green Line train last month when he ran a red light, according to a Metro Transit report released Tuesday.

St. Paul police car collides with Green Line train

The squad car's driver, identified by St. Paul police as Officer Pil Jeon, drove too quickly to give the eastbound train conductor time to react in the Nov. 3 collision near Pascal Street and University Avenue in the Midway area of St. Paul, Metro Transit concluded.

"The accident was caused by the police car operator's disregard of a traffic control device," according to the report.

Witnesses said the squad car's lights and sirens were on. But investigators said Jeon failed to check if it was safe to cross the tracks as he headed north on Pascal Street.

The accident disrupted light rail traffic and westbound vehicle traffic on University Avenue. Jeon briefly lost consciousness and was taken to Regions Hospital.

Jeon was responding to a call of a stolen car in the area, St. Paul Police Spokesman Sgt. Paul Paulos said.

The collision did "substantial damage" to the squad car. Jeon told responding officers he couldn't clearly recall the accident.

Metro Transit won't cite Jeon or pursue any other charges against him, said spokesman Howie Padilla.

An accident-review board of police commanders and citizens will review the report on Thursday, Paulos said. Its members will determine whether the crash was preventable and, if it was, whether Jeon should be disciplined. Police Chief Tom Smith makes final disciplinary decisions.

Disasters

Kia Farhang

Author

Officer Pil Jeon ran a red light in the November accident, according to a Metro Transit report released Tuesday.

Report: St. Paul cop caused squad car-train collision

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