Albuquerque, New Mexico: City Pays $950,000 to Settle Crash Caused by Former Police Chief Harold Medina

The city of Albuquerque has paid $950,000 to settle a lawsuit by Todd Perchert, the driver who was critically injured in February 2024 when Harold Medina, then the city police chief, ran a red light and crashed into his car. Perchert's law firm announced the settlement this week and said the agreement was reached in late September. KKOB reported the payment on Wednesday, and Reason reported the same figure the same day.

The crash on Central Avenue

On February 17, 2024, Perchert was driving his 1966 Ford Mustang east on Central Avenue SE through a green light, on his way to meet members of the Rio Grande Mustang Club. He had owned the car for 12 years, and it had belonged to his uncle before him. Medina was traveling with his wife in an Albuquerque Police Department pickup truck, fleeing the sound of gunfire from an altercation nearby, on his way to a joint news conference with Mayor Tim Keller on the city's anti-crime efforts. At Alvarado Drive and Central Avenue, Medina drove through a red light without a siren or emergency lights and slammed into the driver side of the Mustang. Both vehicles were totaled.

Injuries that changed a life

Perchert was hospitalized for weeks in critical condition. He suffered eight broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken collarbone, a fractured shoulder blade and facial injuries. He underwent seven hours of surgery to repair his ribs with titanium plates and needed a chest tube for the collapsed lung. His attorney, James Tawney of Tawney, Acosta and Chaparro, said the injuries still affect Perchert's mobility and everyday activity. Before the crash, Perchert and his wife, Danielle, hiked, biked and traveled, and the couple canceled a long planned trip for their 27th wedding anniversary. "Todd did nothing wrong that morning," Tawney said. "He was an innocent motorist who had the right of way."

What the investigations found

A Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office investigation found that Medina drove carelessly and recommended a careless driving charge. The New Mexico Department of Justice declined to prosecute, citing evidence that Medina acted under duress following the nearby gunfire. An Albuquerque police internal investigation found that Medina violated two department policies, failing to safely operate his vehicle and not fully activating his body camera, and he received two letters of reprimand. KKOB reported that the internal investigation determined he drove recklessly and failed to activate his body camera during the incident.

The settlement

The city's statement, issued by APD communications director Gilbert Gallegos, said the city acknowledges the seriousness of the crash and the shooting incident that led to it, and noted that no one lost their life in either incident. Tawney said no amount of money can undo the physical and emotional toll the crash took on Perchert and his family, and that the family hopes the resolution brings some closure. Medina retired from the department in December 2025 after 28 years with APD, including five as chief. After the crash, the department replaced his totaled truck with a Ford Expedition that cost nearly $90,000.