Crash sends two Detroit police officers and elderly woman to hospital

DETROIT -
An elderly woman and two Detroit police officers are hurt after a squad car and van collide Tuesday night.

The crash happened at Livernois and Curtis. A witness was closing up a nearby business when she heard the crash.

"As I was counting the drawer down, we just heard a 'rah-rah boom,'' said Paula Johnson, witness, "The car was already flipped over on its side. You could see the front of the police car smashed sitting right there."

Detroit police say  the two officers were responding to a priority one call when they hit the 84-year-old woman, as she was attempting to make a right turn. Her van flipped several times. Police say lights and sirens were activated, but witnesses tell a different story.

"I didn't hear them. Normally you when you hear officers, and they have their sirens on, you can hear them in the distance. I don't know. Maybe they had their lights on and not the actually sirens?" said Johnson.

"There have been officers that have come through and not turned on their sirens until after they've gotten through or just as they are going through the intersection," said Kelsi Bly, neighbor.

The two officers and elderly woman were taken to the hospital with injuries to their backs and necks.

"We saw her on the stretcher. She went into the ambulance. They had to cut the roof off of her car to pull the lady out," said Johnson, "All  she was doing is just praying. She was saying 'Lord be with me.' It's  just messed up and I pray that she's okay."

"Perhaps everyone is a little lax in their driving skills. We could all use this as a lesson to tighten it up a bit," said Bly.

Detroit police are still investigating. They say charges are not likely in this case. All three victims are out of the hospital.