WSP seeks witnesses to crash involving police car

Washington State Patrol detectives are looking for witnesses to a two-car collision involving a fully marked police patrol car that happened last month while the officer was en route to a shooting.

Around 11:30 a.m. Monday, June 30, Vancouver police Officer Keith Tyler was driving east on state Highway 500. He was heading toward Northeast 34th Street near Northeast 162nd Avenue where another Vancouver police officer, Dustin Goudschaal, had just been shot during a routine traffic stop.

With its lights and sirens on, Tyler’s 2012 Dodge Charger collided with a 1992 Volkswagen Passat at the Stapleton Road intersection, Trooper Will Finn said. The driver of the Passat, Arthur Metzger, suffered broken bones and a concussion and was transported to a local hospital.

Tyler, who was hired by the Vancouver Police Department in 1999, also had minor injuries and was sent to the hospital. His car was totalled.

Troopers investigated the crash and got details about what happened from both drivers, but haven’t reached any other witnesses. Anyone who saw what happened, or who knows a witness, is asked to call Detective Dave Ortner at 360-449-7942.

Finn said it’s not yet clear who might be at fault. When police officers run with lights and sirens on, they check intersections to make sure it’s clear and safe to proceed.