Albany Police: Two Officers Involved in Crash

Responding to shots fired call leads to collision with vehicle making illegal U-turn

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Two Albany Police officers were responding to a call for shots fired near 400 Central Ave. when they were involved in a crash on February 18. The officers were traveling west on Central Ave. with lights and sirens on when another car, going east, allegedly made an illegal U-turn, causing the collision. The officers struck the vehicle, then hit a third vehicle parked on the westbound side of the street with one person inside. All involved suffered minor injuries.

Why it matters

Police chases and high-speed responses can pose risks to public safety, so understanding the circumstances around this incident is important. The report of shots fired also turned out to be unfounded, raising questions about how such calls are handled and the potential for unnecessary emergency responses.

The details

According to Albany Police, the two officers were responding to a call for shots fired near 400 Central Ave. when the crash occurred. The officers were traveling west on Central Ave. with their lights and sirens on when another vehicle, going east, allegedly made an illegal U-turn, causing the collision. The officers struck that vehicle, then hit a third vehicle parked on the westbound side of the street with one person inside.

  • The incident occurred on February 18, 2026.
  • The officers were responding to a call for shots fired near 400 Central Ave.

The players

Albany Police Department

The local law enforcement agency responsible for policing the city of Albany, New York.

The driver who made the illegal U-turn

The driver of the vehicle that allegedly made an illegal U-turn, causing the collision with the responding police officers.

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What’s next

The Albany Police Department will likely continue investigating the incident to determine the full circumstances and any potential further charges.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the risks and challenges faced by police officers responding to emergency calls, as well as the need for careful driving and adherence to traffic laws by all motorists to ensure public safety.