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DC Officer Killed, One Injured When Cruiser Struck Pole

Updated: 9:09 a.m.

WASHINGTON, DC – A D.C. police officer responding to an incident early Saturday morning died after the car he was driving crashed into a wooden Pepco pole, police said Saturday.

Officer Paul Dittamo, 32, has been a member of the police department since June 2009. The car he was driving crashed on the 2200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE at about 1:30 a.m. Dittamo was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 2:06 a.m.

Another officer, who was a passenger, sustained injuries that are not life-threatening. He is undergoing medical treatment, said police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump in a statement.

The crash remains under investigation, she said.

—Michael Birnbaum

Original post:

A D.C. police officer died in a car accident early Saturday while responding to an emergency call in Southeast Washington, officials said.

Police officials released few details but said the officer was involved in a single vehicle accident in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue at about 1:30 a.m.

The officer was responding to a call to help evaluate a person reportedly on PCP.

The D.C. police’s major crash unit is investigating the cause of the accident.

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