Senior criminology and criminal justice major Talia Leibovic’s Lexus Rx330 was impounded after a collision with a police cruiser.

A Prince George’s County Police officer’s squad car collided with a student’s vehicle early yesterday morning after the officer ran a red light at the intersection of Route 1 and Knox Road, according to the student.

Senior economics major Victoria Silva said she was waiting at the traffic light between Cornerstone Grill and Loft and Smoothie King at 12:30 a.m. yesterday when the light turned green and she drove forward. About a quarter of the way through the intersection, she said a District 6 squad car driving northbound on Route 1, toward the main entrance to the campus, smashed into the front left side of the 2005 Lexus Rx330 she was driving.

Numerous calls to Acting District 6 Commander Robert Brewer went unanswered yesterday. Another official at District 6, which includes Beltsville and Laurel, declined to comment on the incident or release her full name. District 1 Commander Hector Velez, who oversees patrol of College Park, was unable to release specifics of the incident but said it remains under investigation.

According to Silva, the officer did not have his emergency lights on before the crash occurred. Silva said the impact of the accident caused the SUV-like vehicle to turn a full 180 degrees in the street. She said the officer’s squad car crossed the Route 1 median.

Velez said no one was injured, other than a few bruises that did not require hospitalization.

The car Silva was driving actually belongs to her friend, senior criminology and criminal justice and government and politics major Talia Leibovic. Velez said both cars sustained serious damage and were impounded after the accident.

Silva, who was driving alone, said she was not allowed to talk to the officer after the accident for insurance purposes.

“He asked if I was OK, but that was really it,” she said.

Hours after the accident, Silva said she was still shaken.

“It was really scary,” she said. “I’m so startled.”

After seeing the wrecked vehicles, Leibovic said she was surprised to find her friend in such good health.

“I’m just really glad [Silva’s] OK,” Leibovic said. “If you saw the damages to the cars, you wouldn’t think she was OK, but I’m so glad she is.”

egan at umdbk dot com