A police officer was rushing to a job when the car he was driving crashed into the back of a utility vehicle and trailer on the corner of Hall St and Kent St in Hamilton tonight.
The marked police car crashed about 6.45pm, knocking its front bumper on to the road and causing minor damage to the trailer it smashed into.
A witness said the police car appeared to be on its way to an incident because its lights were flashing and its siren was blaring when it hit the back of a trailer being towed by a white Ford Ranger.
The police car was heading towards Dinsdale and appeared to be trying to overtake two cars in front of it by moving into the right-hand turning lane at the traffic lights near the Frankton overbridge when it misjudged the space and hit the trailer, the witness said.
Police later said a car braked suddenly when its inhabitants saw a police car with siren and lights coming behind them. The police officer was unable to stop and drove into the back of the car.