Milan PD cruiser slams into light pole

By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

MILAN — A police patrol unit went out of control and resulted in emergency vehicles tying up one lane of Route 66 Friday night.

There were no injuries in the late-evening accident involving a village of Milan police car and police officer.

New Mexico State Police vehicles, the Milan Police Department cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck from the Milan Volunteer Fire Department were on the scene by approximately 8:30 p.m. The east bound fast lane of Old U.S. Highway 66 in the west 600 block, near Blake’s Lota Burger was closed for several hours, slowing traffic but causing no back ups.

Milan Chief of Police Jerry Stephens said Officer Roshern McKenny was responding to a call when he ran into water on the highway, causing the patrol car to go out of control. The car ran into the median strip and came to a stop with no injuries. McKenny was taken to Cibola General Hospital and released, the chief said.

A witness on the scene said the car hit a light post. Stephens said the right front of the unit was seriously damaged, but whether it could be repaired had not been determined yet. The chief stressed that the department has back-up units and does not expect to be hampered by having the unit out of action.

Details of the accident, such as rate of speed, are still under investigation by the state police, Stephens said.