Shocking moment Albuquerque police chief in a huge pick-up truck slams into the side of driver after running red light – as victim shows off his horrific injuries

A man was seriously injured after a car crash involving Albuquerque’s police chief — and he and his wife want answers.

On February 17, Todd Perchert, 55, was driving east on Central Avenue in his Mustang 66 when APD Chief Harold Medina ran a red light and his cruiser crashed into him as he tried to escape gunfire.

‘It happened so quickly. I don’t think I had the time to even set myself up for it,” Todd told the local ABC affiliate KOOT.

Todd inherited the car from his father, who died just months before the crash. He had spent thousands of dollars restoring the family heirloom, all only to have it destroyed in an instant.

He was left with a broken collarbone and shoulder blade, eight broken ribs, a collapsed lung, lacerations to his left ear and head and multiple lacerations to his face.

The survivor underwent a seven-hour surgery and was hospitalized for almost a week with epidural painkillers and a chest tube.

“It’s been a constant pain since the crash,” Perchert told KOAT. “I haven’t driven much since the accident.”

Medina and his wife, who were in the passenger seat, walked away without a scratch.

Video footage of the crash shows Medina crashing into Todd after running a red light in a black pickup.

Medina said he was trying to escape gunfire from a man who was fighting on the sidewalk next to his parked truck.

“I distinctly remember seeing the green light before crossing the intersection. Then all of a sudden I saw a black truck come out of nowhere and hit me on the driver’s side,” Perchert said.

Todd said his recovery will take time, but he is grateful to be alive.

“I thank God every day that Todd is still here. It is by God’s grace that he is sitting here today,” his wife Danielle told KOAT.

On March 27, Perchert and his wife held a press conference after the car accident. The family, still shaken by the incident, is trying to hold Albuquerque’s police chief accountable.

“As a military veteran, I appreciate the men and women who enter the military and law enforcement. These are not easy jobs, requiring a lot of sacrifice and dedication. I have great respect for our law enforcement,” Todd said at the conference.

“However, I am disappointed in the actions of our police chief and the response of Mayor Tim Keller who praised the police department’s decisions.”

“The chief personally endangered the lives of others, seriously injured my husband and stood there laughing and smiling as if none of this had just happened. That behavior is not to be commended,” said Danielle.

‘To make matters worse, the mayor praised the chief’s actions, which made me sick.’

Mayor Tim Keller expressed his gratitude in the aftermath of the crash.

‘This goes beyond what you expect from a chef. And I am grateful to Harold Medina,” Keller said.

“Whether it’s our city or the individuals he helped or possibly the lives he saved because of the shooting, we all owe him a debt of gratitude today.”

Todd and Danielle take legal action in the form of a civil lawsuit and claim against the city and the police department. They and their attorney allege Medina violated both state and department operating procedures and laws.

“I don’t know why the New Mexico State Police didn’t investigate this, unlike our police department. I mean, that’s the first question,” said Perchert’s attorney, James Tawney.

“This is my family, you know, I’m sorry, but how would they have reacted if that was their spouse or someone in their family? Someone would have been held accountable,” Danielle said.

According to an APD official, an internal investigation is underway to determine whether the policy was followed, and a crash review board will assess whether the tragedy was preventable.