A Memphis police cruiser responded to an emergency call with its siren on, and video shows it colliding with a car that held five victims

A patrol car from the Memphis Police Department was answering an urgent dispatch when it collided with a car carrying six people, and five of them died. According to FOX13 Memphis, the crash happened around 12:25 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of East Raines Road and Hickory Hill Road. Two officers were also hurt, and both had left the hospital by Monday.

Police stated the officers were headed for a call about a man down near Mendenhall Road and Flowering Peach Drive that was tied to a homicide. A gas station camera shows several vehicles waiting on a red signal while the cruiser comes up with lights and siren running. Another vehicle then appears to enter the intersection, and the two collide.

Four of the car’s occupants were pronounced dead where the collision happened, and another died later in a hospital. The sixth person in the car was in critical condition. Tennessee state troopers took charge of the inquiry, which is routine when Memphis officers are part of a serious crash. Another response-call crash involving law enforcement happened in Missouri earlier this month, when a sheriff’s vehicle struck a teen.

Investigators examine speed and braking

Retired lieutenant Mike Collins, formerly of the sheriff’s office in Shelby County, told ABC24 investigators must establish how fast the cruiser entered the intersection. He added that braking is another key point. “Did they attempt to brake when they entered the intersection?” he asked. He also advised drivers to check an intersection before proceeding, since an emergency vehicle may not be noticed in time.

Another station stated that the video shows a red light for the car with six people, while the cruiser had its lights on. A review of the department’s handbook found that officers must activate lights and siren before entering an intersection and stop at controlled ones. Families have named four of the victims as Rodney McNeal, 20; Carlesha Fifer, 19; Messiah Lee, 20; and Syria Fifer, 21. Carlesha was Syria’s cousin. The remaining victim is a teenage girl.

Cory Robinson coached McNeal in football at Hamilton High, and Robinson recalled him as cheerful and “always in good spirits, smiling and laughing.” Relatives of Syria Fifer described her in a GoFundMe statement as “an angel on Earth.” Carlesha’s mother, Shoneke Williams, called her “one of the funniest, happiest, goofiest kid you would know.” Carlesha was about a month from turning 20.

Mayor Paul Young stated that “Five young people lost their lives last night.” A makeshift memorial grew at the site, and hundreds gathered Monday evening for a vigil honoring McNeal. Danielle Conley, an aunt of the two cousins, asked the public to wait for the investigation to finish before drawing conclusions.

Investigators are still reviewing the video and other evidence, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.