AMARILLO, TX (07/20/2015) — Two Amarillo police officers, Sgt. Charles Pairis and Heather Lee, were injured after their patrol vehicles were struck in separate incidents on Monday night.
Amarillo Police Department (APD) has confirmed that Sgt. Charles Pairis and police officer Heather Lee were both injured after two separate collisions on Monday night in Amarillo, Texas.
According to the APD, the first incident happened when Officer Lee was preventing traffic from entering a flooded underpass at the intersection of 6th Avenue and S. Bowie Street in Amarillo, which had already stalled one vehicle.
While Lee was inside her unmarked patrol car (with emergency lights flashing), a red 1994 Toyota pickup truck rear-ended her vehicle. Both Lee and the driver of the Toyota were transported to a nearby area hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
The second incident occurred 25 minutes later when Sgt. Pairis was at the 3800 block of S. Western Street blocking traffic due to high water. A 2003 Mitsubishi Montero, driven by 28-year-old Alex Gurrola, veered into the northbound lane and collided with Pairis’ Ford F-150 patrol truck with enough force to deploy the airbags in both vehicles.
Gurrola showed signs of intoxication and was booked into the Randall County jail for DUI.
The APD stated that Sgt. Pairis suffered minor injuries, and has since been treated and released from the hospital.
