A vehicle collision occurred outside the Anderson Student Center turnaround on Cretin Avenue Thursday afternoon.
According to an email from St. Paul Police Sgt. Mike Ernster, police officers were en route to respond to a carjacking at the 400 block of Finn Street at the time of the collision between St. Thomas sophomore Ellie Tragiai’s car and a Public Safety vehicle.
According to St. Paul campus Public Safety Manager Aaron Fimon and Tragiai, the public safety officer was attempting to leave the turnaround as Tragiai emerged from behind a Omaha team bus that was parked for the Summit League Outdoor Track and Field Championships taking place at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.
“Police were coming this way, so I pulled over, and I was pulled over behind that bus right there, and then I pulled back out when the police left,” Tragiai said. “Pub safe was coming out, didn’t see me and just hit me head-on.”
The front end of Tragiai’s white Ford was damaged in the collision.
Ernster wrote that SPPD officers became involved when they noticed the crash and noted an argument between public safety officers and another driver, who had been behind Tragiai.
“The security officers stated they were trying to warn the other driver of on coming emergency vehicles and they argued,” Ernster wrote. “The other driver claimed on of the security officers pushed his car door into his chest causing him to get the air knocked out of him.”
Ernster wrote that the police officers were able to resolve the issue.
Fimon said that the situation was ultimately handled, and added that if there were any complaints towards a public safety officer, none were officially made to him.
Kevin Lynch can be reached at lync1832@stthomas.edu.