Dash-cam video shows SUV pull into traffic seconds before crash with Sparta Police cruiser

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Sparta, MI - Sparta Police Department released dash-cam video of the moments leading up to a crash involving an on-duty officer and the driver of an SUV on Saturday, February 15.

You can see the officer driving south on State St. Just as they pass E Averill St, a black Ford SUV pulls out from the driveway of a local business on the west side of the road.

Snow and debris from the car was sent flying as the SUV disappears from view.

The report shows the officer had 1.5 seconds and only 70-80' of road to react between the SUV pulling out and the moment they hit each other.

Sparta PD points out they handed the investigation over to the Kent County Sheriff's Office, and noted you can see the cruiser's nose dip down just before impact— about 0.3 to 0.4 seconds after the SUV pulls out— due to hard breaking on the part of the officer, but with wet, slick roads, and how close the vehicle was to oncoming traffic when it pulled out, there was no way to avoid a collision.

"Recognizing a dangerous situation and applying the brake pedal in approximately 1/3 of a second is an extremely fast response time, and we feel strongly that the officer prevented this outcome from being more severe." Sparta Police Department posted to social media Tuesday about their internal review of the situation.

Kent County investigators determined the driver of the SUV failed to yield to traffic and the officer was attentive in their driving leading up to and during the situation.