RPD officer injured in crash released from hospital; PAB is investigating

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Police officer injured after crashing into the Avenue Blackbox Theatre on Wednesday afternoon was released from the hospital, RPD confirmed.

The Rochester Police Accountability Board announced on Thursday that they’re investigating the crash. They’re asking anyone with information to contact the board here.

The officer was taken to Strong Hospital to treat minor upper-body injuries after the head-on crash at Joseph Avenue near Berlin Street.

According to the RPD, the officer was headed north on Joseph Avenue with the lights and sirens on, while responding to a request from help from another police agency. A vehicle on Berlin Street started heading south in the northbound lane of Joseph Avenue, colliding head-on with the officer’s vehicle, police said.

The crash sent the RPD vehicle off the road and it crashed into the front of the Avenue Blackbox Theatre, which was unoccupied at the time. The other vehicle remained in the road and came to a rest facing north. The driver, a 51-year-old woman from Rochester, was taken to Rochester General Hospital for a precaution.

The Rochester woman will be issued traffic citations. She was not found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, police said.

Reenah Golden, CEO and artistic director at Avenue Blackbox Theatre, issued this statement on Wednesday:

“We hope that the neighborhood and everyone involved quickly recovers from such a scary event. As for our building, we haven’t had an opportunity to fully assess the damage. However, we do know, unfortunately, there is damage to both the exterior and the interior. The front of the building is now actually crumbling in some places from the impact. Inside, the lobby will also need repairs as there is a large crack in the wall now visible. So, we hope to make the necessary repairs soon so we can get back to bringing theatre to our community.”