Video: N.M. Deputy Crashes Cruiser Into Busy Restaurant

December 27, 2011 |

A Taos County (N.M.) Sheriff's deputy responding to a call on Christmas Eve crashed his cruiser into a busy restaurant's patio while attempting to avoid a collision.

Dep. Nicholas Lamendola was responding with lights and sirens activated and swerved into the packed El Prado restaurant. The cruiser rolled and came to rest on a fire pit in the restaurant's patio.

After the crash, several nearby restaurant patrons—called "a group of boys" in initial news reports—pulled the fire pit's kerosene and propane tank out of the area, and then helped the deputy out of the vehicle, reports the Albuquerque Journal. No injuries were reported.

Tags: Taos County (N.M.) Sheriff, Code 3 Driving, Police Vehicle Accidents

Comments (3)

Displaying 1 - 3 of 3
Bob@Az. @ 12/27/2011 5:40 PM "A group of boys"?? I'd say more like young men of courage. Hope the Sheriffs Dept. made the appropiate thanks to these young LE prospects. We need more people like this, running to help, not away.
DaveSAM25G @ 12/27/2011 8:46 PM There was a homicide in Taos but not sure if this was related. Things pick up during the holidays and calls for service are stacked!
Ken Dusenberry @ 12/28/2011 6:07 AM Still do not know what the call was, but the officer was dispatched to a town which was 25 miles from the scene of the accident. TV reports indicated that the unit rolled following a collision. The video on TV was impressive.

Displaying 1 - 3 of 3

Bob@Az. @ 12/27/2011 5:40 PM

"A group of boys"?? I'd say more like young men of courage. Hope the Sheriffs Dept. made the appropiate thanks to these young LE prospects. We need more people like this, running to help, not away.

DaveSAM25G @ 12/27/2011 8:46 PM

There was a homicide in Taos but not sure if this was related. Things pick up during the holidays and calls for service are stacked!

Ken Dusenberry @ 12/28/2011 6:07 AM

Still do not know what the call was, but the officer was dispatched to a town which was 25 miles from the scene of the accident. TV reports indicated that the unit rolled following a collision. The video on TV was impressive.

Join the Discussion

Name *

E-Mail *

Message *

Other Recent News

Henderson Police Officers’ Association Donates $25,000 to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

The Henderson (Nev.) Police Officers’ Association (HPOA) recently donated $25,000 to the...

Former Officer Reunites With Woman He Rescued as an Abandoned Baby 51 Years Ago

“I saw this baby sitting on the blanket and she wasn’t moving, just looking at me,...

Video: 28 African-American Memphis Officers Face Demotion

Fifteen years ago, the officers won a lawsuit against City of Memphis that found promotion...

Muslim Woman Sues Michigan Agency for Making Her Remove Face Covering

A Muslim woman filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing Dearborn Heights, Mich., police of...

Video: Reserve Los Angeles Deputy Finalist in $1 Million Super Bowl Commercial Contest

Zabielski also hopes his spot will help him break into commercial and feature film...

Yes! Please rush me my FREE TRIAL ISSUE of POLICE magazine and FREE Officer Survival Guide with tips and tactics to help me safely get out of 10 different situations.

Just fill in the form to the right and click the button to receive your FREE Trial Issue.

If POLICE does not satisfy you, just write "cancel" on the invoice and send it back. You'll pay nothing, and the FREE issue is yours to keep. If you enjoy POLICE, pay only $25 for a full one-year subscription (12 issues in all). Enjoy a savings of nearly 60% off the cover price!

Offer valid in US only. Outside U.S., click here.

It's easy! Just fill in the form below and click the red button to receive your FREE Trial Issue.
First Name:	Last Name:
Rank:	Agency:
Address:	City:
State:	Zip Code:
Country:
We respect your privacy. Please let us know if the address provided is your home, as your RANK / AGENCY will not be included on the mailing label. YES, it is my home address.
E-mail Address: