CLEVELAND — Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has made his first statement following the traffic crash involving a vehicle he was riding in last week.
Bibb was hospitalized as a precaution on Thursday after a car crash at the corner of East 12th Street and Superior Avenue. Officials stated all parties involved, including the other driver, are "fine."
The Cleveland Division of Police later reported that the vehicle's lights "were activated outside of the emergency response driving policy."
"I want to make it clear that nobody is above the law, and I take full responsibility for the actions of my staff," Bibb wrote. "The officer on my security detail exhibited bad judgement in the moment, and his actions are not something I condone. I apologize for the inconvenience or harm caused, and I will ensure the appropriate measures are taken to prevent such an incident in the future."
According to Cleveland Police Chief Annie Todd, the crash happened at approximately 8:55 a.m. as Bibb's vehicle was being driven by a member of the Cleveland Division of Police.
"At the time, the mayor’s driver was engaged in emergency response driving. Preliminary information indicates that the lights were activated outside of the emergency response driving policy," Todd added.
The Cleveland Division of Police is investigating the incident "and is conducting an internal review of potential policy violations." Todd said that discipline related to violations of the division's Emergency Response Driving Policy "range from verbal warning to a 3-day suspension."
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