Shocking moment a police car is T-boned by a Mazda sparks debate over which driver is at fault

The dramatic moment a police van is T-boned by a car as it races through a red light at a busy intersection has sparked debate over which driver is to blame. 

The footage shows the terrifying collision at the corner of St Pauls Terrace and Brookes Street in Brisbane‘s Fortitude Valley.

The police van is seen entering the intersection through a red light at the same time the Mazda driver unwittingly speeds up to make it through a green light up ahead. 

The Mazda hits the rear of the police van and swerves, the impact forcing the van onto two wheels for a few excruciating seconds before it lands back on the road. 

 The police van is seen entering the intersection through a red light at the same time the Mazda driver unwittingly speeds up to make it through the green light ahead

A few moments go by as the drivers recover from the crash, before a police officer exits the van and walks to the driver side window of the crumpled Mazda.

The dash cam footage received hundreds of comments from social media users who were divided over which driver was most to blame for the nasty collision. 

Some people said it was the responsibility of the police officer to ensure it was safe to travel because they were going against the flow of the traffic lights. 

‘No fault to the driver, the light was green and his view was impeded by the waiting traffic on the right, the cop should have paused just ahead of the turning lane’, one person commented. 

The Mazda hits the rear of the police van and swerves, the impact forcing the van onto two wheels for a few excruciating seconds before it lands back on the road 

‘Oops, that driver is in trouble, he should have driven more slowly… Just wait until he gets back to the station, the other coppers are going to be ribbing him for years to come’, another joked. 

‘Police car should have entered that intersection with way more caution’, a third agreed. 

However others disagreed and said it was the Mazda driver who should have been paying more attention to the oncoming emergency vehicle. 

‘100% Mazda at fault, failed to give way to an emergency services vehicle under lights and sirens’, one user said.

The dash cam footage has received hundreds of comments from online users who are divided over which driver is to blame for the nasty collision

‘This is a good example of people not paying attention on the roads when sirens are going off’, another commented. 

‘Any of you who think that the cops are at fault need to have a look at the Queensland road rules when it comes to emergency vehicles’, a third stated.  

According to Queensland road rules, all drivers must give way to an emergency vehicle that is sounding an alarm or showing flashing red or blue lights. 

This rule also applies even if the driver is facing a green traffic light or arrow and the emergency vehicle appears to have stopped or slowed down. 

Other viewers joked about the quick response time to the collision. 

‘When you really hit the wrong car. Bet the response time was fast!’, one user commented. 

‘Where’s the cops when you need them… ohhhh there they are’, another said.  

The nasty collision occurred on the corner of St Pauls Terrace and Brookes Street in Fortitude Valley, Queensland (pictured)