On Monday, officials announced that a Tucson police officer had tragically lost his life in a collision with a motorist. The officer was responding to a call in a vehicle with its siren on and lights flashing.
On Sunday night, Officer Adam Buckner, 31, of Tucson, had the right of way at an intersection close to the University of Arizona campus, according to the police. He was taken to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
At a press conference on Monday, Tucson Police Chief Chad Kasmar said that Buckner was crossing an intersection on a green signal when a vehicle attempting a turn did not stop for his marked police car.
The impact of the accident sent Buckner’s patrol car crashing into a traffic signal pole; he was responding to a complaint of a guy shattering windows at a business, according to the police.
Buckner received first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation from other cops and good samaritans at the scene. Paramedics transported him to Banner-University Medical Center (BUMC).
According to Kasmar, the second driver in a white sedan—whose name was withheld at first—suffered just minor injuries and showed no indications of impairment. He was transported to BUMC but soon released.
While the matter was under investigation, he said the other motorist would not be given any tickets.
The Tucson Police Department said Buckner’s death makes him the ninth officer to have died in the line of duty.
According to the TPD, Buckner started his career in law enforcement in 2017 with the New Orleans Police Department. He joined the TPD in 2021. Along with being named the head police officer for squad nine, he was “recently highlighted as the Midtown Division’s Officer of the Month.”
He is survived by his mother, wife, sister, and three brothers.
