Cop under probe after accident

A 33-year-old police officer is at the centre of an investigation after he knocked down a Santa Cruz couple last month.

On Tuesday, relatives of David and Leanna Sankar contacted Newsday about the incident, saying the couple were injured in the accident on Caprieta Road, La Pastora, Santa Cruz, on February 22.

The family said the driver responsible was a police officer who was under the influence of alcohol at the time.

Newsday visited West Shore Medical Private Hospital and spoke to Leanna Sankar.

Her 69-year-old husband, David, was not responsive. He suffered multiple injuries.

Leanna, 61, said the incident was deeply traumatising. She insisted the officer had been drinking, and called on Police Commissioner Gary Griffith to investigate.

Recalling what happened, she said: "It was a shock. We went on our evening walk – we were just two driveways away from our house...

"We were walking single file at the side of the road. He (David) was behind me. His elbow went through the windscreen of the man's car...He hit David very hard."

Her husband has "a broken shoulder, a broken pelvis and he developed pneumonia and he's having problems breathing."

After the accident, she said, "I could hear my husband bawling.

"This person identified himself as a police officer, but I was a little confused, because he smelled so much of alcohol."

Sankar said the officer was allowed to drive to the station in his own car – the one involved in the accident – and questioned whether proper procedure was followed. She also said the officer was not given a field sobriety test.

Sankar had surgery on one leg on Tuesday. She was discharged that day, but wanted to stay close to her husband to comfort him if he regained consciousness.

She said while the chances of her husband's survival were said to be relatively slim, she was optimistic he would make a full recovery.

Before he slipped into unconsciousness on Monday, he asked her to forgive the officer for the accident, but she was unsure if she was ready for that.

"We're very devout Christians and he (David) asked me to forgive him (the driver) for what he did. We even wanted to pray with him and ask him to seek Jesus' forgiveness. He's a young man and if he was drinking, that means he was clearly going through something.

"But after what we've all been through, I'm not sure how I feel about that."

Asking for the Commissioner of Police to look into the accident, she said, "I believe Mr Griffith is a man of honour. But if he is serious about cleaning up the police service, he should start with this incident.

"This man (the officer) was obviously drunk.

"You cannot expect the people of this country to have trust in you if you protect wrongdoing. People are getting injured.

"I would like to tell Mr Griffith that if you intend to return law to this land, the officers need to be the example. Let us grow in confidence that we can trust you all."

Newsday contacted Griffith, who declined comment, as the investigation is an open one.

The official police report says the collision happened at around 8.25 pm on February 22. The police officer, who was off duty, collided with another car, causing him to lose control and collide with the Sankars.

The report said the Sankars were injured, were taken to West Shore by ambulance, and were warded in stable condition.

It also said neither driver was injured in the crash.

It did not mention the officer's being intoxicated.