Category Archives: Traffic Safety Division

Delta District, Traffic Safety Division

Driver Critically Injured Attempting Bail Out

Occurred on 8/22/12, 12:42 am  Major Accident/Evading Arrest    100 Pueblo     C1206356/1208220007 

Officers observed a white 2002 Ford F250 pick-up truck run a stop sign at Virginia and Morgan Streets.  They attempted to pull the truck over, but the driver refused to stop, driving slowly down Balboa Street.  The truck sped off and again Police attempted to pull it over. 

Officers ended the pursuit, but continued to keep a visual on the truck, following from a distance.  The truck was last seen turning on Pueblo from Agnes Street and Officers found it abandoned.  

Further investigation revealed, the driver was attempting to bail out of the truck when he lost control and the door struck a utility pole.  The door slammed on the driver and he fell from the vehicle landing at 110 Pueblo Street. The truck continued on striking a palm tree and chain link fence before crashing into another utility pole at 121 Pueblo Street.

The driver was taken to Spohn Memorial by CCFD Emergency Personnel.  As of this post, his condition was critical. 

The preliminary identification of the driver revealed he has a Municipal Court warrant for Failure to Appear in the amount of $319.  He also appeared to have been intoxicated and a blood specimen taken.  The investigation is ongoing and will conducted by the Police Department’s Traffic Division.

Bravo District, Community Outreach, Delta District, Traffic Safety Division

Photos of Hit & Run Suspect Vehicle Released


Occurred Sunday, August 5, 2012, 2033, Ocean Drive at Poenisch Drive, Accident Involving Injury or Death 1208050122 & C1205862

Corpus Christi Police Hit & Run Investigators are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect involved in the hit & run accident involving a 21-year-old jogger in the 6400 block of Ocean Drive.  The driver of the light-colored vehicle left without providing any aid to the young woman. The woman jogger was taken by ambulance to the hospital with serious injuries. 

Investigators are looking for a light-colored, sport utility vehicle which was seen by witnesses to travel a block away from the crash site and slowed down as if to turn around. The driver waited a moment, and then sped away toward Ennis Joslin Road.

Corpus Christi Police Hit and Run Investigators recovered evidence from the scene and are now searching for a late Chevrolet S-10 Blazer or GMC Jimmie with front end damage to include a missing passenger side head light assembly.

Anyone with additional information about this crime should call Corpus Christi Police Hit and Run Investigators immediately at 361-886-2600.  Anonymous tips may be made to Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS (8477) or online at www.888TIPS.com.

Charlie District, Patrol Division, Traffic Safety Division

Garbage Truck Rolls at Landfill

Occurred Saturday, August 11, 2012, 4:20pm, 7001 Ayers St. Vehicle Crash C1206051

A 24-year-old man received minor injuries when the 6 ton garbage truck he drove rolled at the J.C. Elliot Landfill Saturday afternoon.

The truck drove down hill too fast on a paved road to a curve and then rolled to its passenger side. The 2001 GMC truck which has 2 axles and 6 tires then struck a chain link fence at the bottom of the hill.

No estimate for the damage is yet available and the man took himself to seek medical treatment for minor injuries. The operator of the truck did not receive a citation and the crash is considered to have happened on private property.

Delta District, Patrol Division, Traffic Safety Division

Police Seek Woman Who Fled From Police on 17th Street

Occurred Saturday, August 11, 2012, 2:45am, 1000 17th St. Evading Arrest With A Vehicle 1208110029

Corpus Christi Police want more information from the public to identify a woman that fled from police Saturday morning.

A Corpus Christi Police Patrol Officer saw a silver 1998 Dodge Durango pass the stop sign at Ruth Street and 19th Street without stopping. The officer initiated a traffic stop, but the Durango sped away. A Patrol supervisor cancelled the vehicle pursuit because the only violation was a traffic offense and the pursuit created a danger to the public that did not outweigh the benefit to capture the offender. Patrol officers slowed to the speed limit and turned off their emergency lights.

The Durango was found parked on the 700 block of Indiana. The vehicle was impounded. Police continue the investigation as they seek a white woman in her middle 30’s of age, about 5ft. 7 inches tall, about 200 pounds with brown hair that wore dark clothes.

Anyone with additional information about this crime should call police investigators at 886-2600.

Charlie District, Patrol Division, Traffic Safety Division

Woman Arrested After Striking Parked Car On The Freeway

Occurred Friday, August 10, 2012, 21:41, Ayers at Holly, D.W.I. 1208100159 & C1206025

A 36-year-old woman was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated after she struck a parked vehicle on the freeway Friday night.

Corpus Christi Police saw a red 1998 Mazda Sport Truck travel south on Ayers at 9:40pm without any headlights. The officers initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of Ayers and Holly and saw that the truck had no working headlights because the front end was smashed and the truck leaked fluids.

The 37-year-old passenger of the truck requested an ambulance for injuries and the officers discovered the truck had struck a parked 1998 Chevy S-10 pickup on the 3700 block of the freeway moments before the officers saw the truck on Ayers.

The 37-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital by ambulance with non life threatening injuries. The 36-year-old operator of the truck, Monica Cruz (8/26/1975) displayed indicators that she was intoxicated. Cruz was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation and a blood specimen was collected. Cruz was then released from the hospital and officers delivered Cruz to the city detention center for Driving While Intoxicated.

Mrs. Cruz’s truck was impounded. The S-10 pickup was parked on the shoulder when it was struck and it was unoccupied. Police remind vehicle owners not to park vehicles on any highway as it is subject for impound. Make arrangements to immediately remove the vehicle if your vehicle becomes disabled in high traffic areas. A highway shoulder is not a safe place to leave unattended vehicles.

Community Outreach, Traffic Safety Division

What to do if you are in a vehicle crash

What do I do if I am in a vehicle crash?

There are many crashes every day in Corpus Christi. Most are minor and have no injuries. It is important to know what to do if you are unfortunate to experience one of these crashes. Your reaction can prevent injuries, reduce the cost, and accelerate the cleanup.

Safety First:

Drivers involved in minor accidents with no serious injuries should move cars to the side of the road and out of the way of oncoming traffic. Additional accidents and injuries can result if cars are left parked in the middle of the road or busy intersection. Drivers and passengers should remain in the cars with seat belts fastened for everyone’s safety until help arrives if the car cannot be moved. Turn on hazard lights and set out cones, flares or warning triangles if it is safe and practical. Provide any aid to injured people if at all possible or appropriate.

Call Police:

The emergency services representative that answers the phone will ask if there are any injuries as a result of this crash. That is a priority for emergency services response. The representative will ask for the location of the crash, how many vehicles are involved, if traffic is blocked by crashed vehicles, and the description of the vehicles. Be ready to provide the information so there will be as little of a delay as possible by emergency responders.

Exchange Information:

Exchange the following information: name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver license number and license plate number for the driver and the owner of each vehicle. Establish what the relationship is and take down the name and address for each individual if the driver’s name is different from the name of the insured. Make a written description of each car, including year, make, model and color — and the exact location of the collision and how it happened. Finally, be polite and be patient.

Document the Crash:

Use your camera to document the damage to all the vehicles. Keep in mind that you want your photos to show the overall context of the crash. Get the contact information of any witnesses to the event. Have your driver’s license and proof of insurance ready for the police officer that responds. Crash reports also require the identifying information for all occupants of each vehicle involved in a crash. Have the passenger’s information like identification cards and seat positions ready for the police officer that reports the crash. Let the emergency responders know of any preference of a tow service needed as soon as practical; otherwise, the police officer will request a wrecker from a rotation list.

Auto accidents take a tremendous toll on everyone involved, both financially and emotionally. If you’re one of the lucky ones who have thus far avoided a serious accident, hopefully the tips on prevention will help keep it that way. The chances are high, though; that at some point you will be involved in a minor accident. Just keep your head and make safety your primary concern.

Community Outreach, Traffic Safety Division

Move Over Public Service Announcement (click link for video)

When you see emergency workers on the side of the road, move over. If you can’t move over, slow down.

Deaths and injuries prompted Texas to enact the move over law in 2003.

When you see lights, when you see vests, slow down and move over.

Texas Transportation Code 545.157 defines the requirements of the Texas Move Over Act. It requires that drivers vacate the lane adjacent to a stopped, authorized emergency vehicle that has its emergency lights on, or slow down to 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit when the posted speed limit is at or above 25 miles per hour (or slow to 5 mph when
the posted speed is less than 25 mph).

Community Outreach, Traffic Safety Division

What to expect in traffic enforcement (click link)

What the public should do if police initiate a traffic stop:

1. When You See the Police Car

Pull over to the right safely and quickly if a police car is behind you with its emergency lights flashing. Use your turn signal to indicate any lane changes from left to right, and slow down fairly quickly, but not so quickly that the officer will have to brake to avoid hitting you. Pull over as far to the right as possible so that, when the officer comes up to your widow, he or she will worry less about passing traffic.

The best practice is to pull into a parking lot where there is no passing traffic. Once stopped, the best practice is to put the vehicle in park and turn on the interior light if it is dark. It is best to place both hands on the steering wheel so that the officer can see them. It is best to search for documents like proof of insurance and driver’s license after requested by the officer. Stay in the vehicle unless instructed to exit by the police officer.

What does the officer do while I wait?

The officer activates the emergency lights and notifies the dispatch personnel of the traffic stop. The officer provides the location of the stop, the license plate characters of the vehicle, and a description of the vehicle stopped. The officer requests the registration information from the car which is information if the vehicle has been reported stolen, the expiration date of the registration, the registered owner’s information, and the vehicle description.

The officer will approach your vehicle while looking for signs of anything that might indicate criminal activity or a threat to the officer or citizen safety. Criminals are located and arrested during simple traffic stops every day.

The officer will discuss the violation with you and request your driver’s license and proof of insurance. The officer will return to the patrol car to check the status of the license and to check for any warrants for arrest. The officer must document information as to the ethnicity and gender of the operator of the vehicle stopped, the reason for the stop, if an arrest was affected during the stop, if a search was conducted, and if a citation was issued. The officer must then complete any citation or warning before returning to your car. Please be patient, this may take a few minutes.

The officer will explain the citation and return your documents to you. The officer may ask you to sign a citation. Your signature only indicates that you received the citation, not that you agree with it. When the officer is finished with the traffic stop, he or she will tell you that you may go. You should carefully pull back out into traffic.

What if I have a gun in my car?

It is much safer for you and the officer if you tell the officer about the weapon immediately, then follow the officer’s directions. Don’t reach toward it.

What if I didn’t do it?

The time to argue about your guilt or innocence is in court. Instructions on how to plead guilty or not guilty are printed on the citation.

Traffic Safety Division

High Tech Parking Has Arrived

Contributed by Marc Denson:

Beginning today Tuesday, August 7th through Friday August 10th, the City of Corpus Christi will be installing 300 new credit card maters in the most frequented downtown and uptown areas. The project originally slated to be in place January 1 of this year was delayed for product upgrades and a production backlog. Rates on the credit card meters will be 75¢ per hour approved by City Council August 2011, but awaiting on the equipment to arrive.

These 300 credit card meters will still take coins, but also Visa and Mastercard and are self-explanatory. The city will then relocate the existing electronic meters eliminating all but about 100 of the old mechanical meters that are between 35-50 years old. The last 100 mechanical should be phased out later this year.  Manufactures quit making parts for most of these older meters 10 to 20 years ago causing cities to replace them as part inventories dwindled.

The new meters have an added ‘green’ aspect being solar-powered, eliminating the use of up to 1200 batteries per year. While initially running on cellular connections these meters will switch to the cities Wi-Fi network over the next several months producing even more operational savings. These meters also operate on a web-based management system which date stamps and inventories every transaction.

In most cities that have converted to this system 70-80% of all transactions are by credit card after the first 12 months. In Corpus Christi during the 90-day pilot program in early 2011, 38% of the transactions were with credit cards, which implies the same trend here. Another nationwide trait of credit card meters is increased meter revenue and decreased citations, by as much as 36%. These traits are contributed to the fact that most people carry little if any change, risking a citation over a small amount of change while almost everyone today carries credit cards.

Charlie District, Patrol Division, Traffic Safety Division

Four Men Take Car By Force On Acapulco Street

Occurred Monday, August 6, 2012, 2:30am, 1400 Acapulco Street, Robbery, 1208060040 & C1205871

A 27-year-old man told police four strangers took his black 2012 Ford Mustang by force at 2:30 in the morning when he arrived at his grandmother’s house.

The 27-year-old man told Police Officers he parked in front of his grandmother’s house and was approached by four men. The 27-year-old man could not provide a detailed description of his attackers. The 27-year-old man said he was attacked by the four men once he exited the car. The 27-year-old man said he woke two houses away from where he parked, and his car was gone.

The 27-year-old man reported the robbery at 8:30am. The vehicle was found in the city impound lot by Police Officers as it was involved in a hit and run crash on the 1200 block of Calle San Carlos at 5:40 this morning.

The robbery and the crash are under investigation by the Corpus Christi Police Department. Anyone with any additional information about these crimes should call the Corpus Christi Police or submit tips to Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS (8477) or online at www.888TIPS.com.