Full Breakdown
Fatal Crash Involving Memphis Police Vehicle at Hickory Hill Intersection
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Early Sunday morning, a Memphis Police Department (MPD) vehicle traveling south on Raines Road collided with a civilian car heading east on Hickory Hill. Surveillance video shows the civilian vehicle entered the intersection on a red light, striking the police vehicle. The crash killed four identified passengers—Rodney McNeal, Syria Fifer, Messiah Lee and Carlesha Fifer (19)—and a fifth victim remains unidentified. A sixth occupant of the civilian car is in critical condition. Both MPD officers, who were responding to a call and were three minutes from the intersection, were hospitalized but later released.
Victims and Immediate Impact
The deceased were all young adults, ages 19-20, from the Memphis area. Their families have been notified, and the community is mourning the loss. The critical-condition survivor remains under intensive care, and authorities have not released further medical details.
Police Vehicle Operations and Protocol Concerns
Retired Shelby County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant Michael Collins reviewed the video and highlighted the tension between rapid response and public safety. He noted that while officers aim to reach emergencies quickly, standard protocol requires caution when operating emergency vehicles, especially at intersections where other drivers may run red lights. Collins emphasized that maintaining a safe speed is a core expectation for law-enforcement drivers.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This is a tough situation, but they were supposed to maintain a safe speed,” — Michael Collins
- “I understood why they [MPD] were doing it and their intent was to get to that scene as quickly as they possibly can. However, you still have to take into consideration the public as well when you are operating that motor vehicle,” — Michael Collins
- “You should still be taking into consideration that this is an intersection and there is possibly that someone may run the light like in this particular situation,” — Michael Collins
What’s Next
Action News 5 has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for MPD’s vehicle-operations policy. The department has not yet responded, leaving the public awaiting clarification on the procedures governing emergency-vehicle travel through intersections.