The police are looking for a suspect after an accident damaged the vehicle of a sergeant on duty

A Portland police sergeant is safe, but his patrol car sustained significant damage after it was rear-ended in a hit-and-run crash in St. Paul’s on Saturday morning. Johns.

Police say the sergeant was stopped at a red light at N. Fessenden Street and N. Columbia Way at 9:13 a.m. when the driver of a Ford pickup struck a Mazda minivan and a police vehicle.

According to police, the truck driver stopped for a moment, then drove off and realized his car was too damaged to drive. He then abandoned the car and fled on foot, police added.

Police searched the area for the suspect but were unable to find him. They say they were not seriously injured.

The suspect’s vehicle was seized as evidence, and due to the severity of the damage, the police vehicle had to be towed. After being questioned by police, the driver of the minivan was able to drive away.

— Julia Silverman covers K-12 education for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Contact her by email at [email protected]. Follow her on x.com at @jrlsilverman.