Montreal police car slams into tree, severely injuring officer

A Montreal police officer was injured in a car crash this morning at the corner of Mount-Royal and Parc avenues in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.

The officer, a 32-year-old man, lost control of the police cruiser while driving to an emergency just before 6 a.m., according to spokesperson Const. Véronique Dubuc.

The cruiser, part of the city's canine team, was heading east on Mount-Royal when it crossed Parc, veered off the street and crashed into a tree, she explained.

The officer suffered serious lower body injuries, but his life is not in danger. He was transported to hospital and may have broken bones, she said.

 Craig Desson/CBC
Craig Desson/CBC

His dog was conscious when emergency responders arrived and was taken to a veterinarian for evaluation. At this point, Dubuc said police don't yet know if it was injured.

Nobody else was hurt in the incident and no other vehicle was involved.

Police closed off Mount Royal between Parc and Saint-Urbain to investigate.

Collision experts suspect the officer may have hit a bump at the intersection that caused him to lose control, said Dubuc.