Late Tuesday evening on November 25, a Gulfport Police Officer was involved in a crash while driving her marked police vehicle at the intersection of 49th Street South and Gulfport Boulevard.
At about 11:12 p.m., Cameron Daynard, 19, was driving eastbound on Gulfport Boulevard and failed to stop at a red light. Gulfport Police Officer Courtney Palazzolo, 28, was headed southbound on 49th Street South. Palazzolo crashed into the driver’s side of Daynard’s vehicle as she was passing through the intersection.
According to the Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T) Daynard’s vehicle spun out of control and struck a traffic signal electrical box, causing traffic signal light boxes to snap off the line.
Deputies assigned to the M.A.I.T questioned a witness who confirmed Daynard failed to stop for the red light.
Daynard and his passenger, Reyna Williams, 19, were brought to a local hospital with serious injuries. Officer Palazzolo was also taken to the hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries and released, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The investigation is ongoing. It has yet to be confirmed whether Daynard was impaired at the time of the accident.
According to the Gulfport Police Department (GPD), Officer Palazzolo has been a part of the GPD since September 2017. She is originally from Southern Illinois where she worked for three years in law enforcement.
