A Bainbridge Island police officer who totaled an undercover police car after becoming distracted while driving on Highway 305 will not be disciplined for the crash.

Bainbridge Detective Scott Weiss rear-ended a Toyota pickup truck on Highway 305 late last year while he was driving his department-issued 2007 Chevrolet Impala.

The Bainbridge family riding in the pickup was not seriously injured in the low-speed collision, but the loss of the police vehicle prompted the city to buy a replacement vehicle, a 2011 Ford Escape, for more than $17,000 last month.

The accident was investigated by the Washington State Patrol, and though higher-ups in the police department determined the crash was caused by driver negligence on Weiss’ part, he was not reprimanded.

Bainbridge Police Chief Matthew Hamner said Weiss’ driving record, and the fact that he immediately took responsibility for the collision, were the prime factors in determining that discipline was not necessary.

Hamner noted that it was the first blotch on Weiss’ driving record in more than 20 years.

“That is an exemplary driving record, especially for officers who are required to drive at high speed, driving at night, with long hours, and the challenges that come along with being a police officer,” Hamner said.

The crash occurred just after 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4 as Weiss was driving north on Highway 305.

Just before reaching Day Road in stop-and-go ferry traffic, Weiss said he was looking in his rearview mirror at the vehicle that was behind him when he looked up to see a Toyota pickup truck that had stopped for traffic, according to the incident report Weiss filled out the day of the accident.

Weiss said he hit his brakes but was unable to stop in time and collided with the Toyota in front of him.

The accident was investigated by the Washington State Patrol.

According to the WSP, the driver of the 1998 Toyota Tacoma, a 30-year-old Bainbridge man, saw Weiss’ vehicle approaching at a moderate rate of speed and tried to pull over to the side and get out of the way before the collision.

The driver said he saw stars and had neck pains after the collision, but the other passengers in the truck, the driver’s young daughter, who was knocked out of her car seat, and the driver’s father did not appear to be hurt.

Weiss was injured when his air bag deployed, and said he received a minor, quarter-sized cut on his left hand.

It had been raining before the accident, and the State Patrol also said the roadway was slick and wet at the time.

The incident was also reviewed by Bainbridge Police Lt. Bob Day and Deputy Chief Jeffrey Horn.

In a memo to Horn shortly after the accident, Day said multiple factors led to the crash.

“Numerous factors combined to contribute to the collision; they include slick, wet roads, Detective Weiss’ divided attention, inappropriate following interval, the quick stop by the lead vehicle and congested traffic,” Day wrote. “Removal of any of these factors would have significantly impacted the outcome of this incident — from a collision to a close call.

“The two biggest factors were within the control of Detective Weiss,” Day continued, “checking behind him as he approached a choke point during heavy traffic, and failing to maintain an appropriate interval on wet roads. If one or both of these factors were removed the collision, more than likely, would not have occurred.”

In a memo to the chief, Horn said that everyone who reviewed the accident, including Weiss, agreed that he caused the accident.

Horn said the accident should be classified as “driver negligence,” but noted that Weiss had not had an accident since 1992 and should receive nothing above a written reprimand for the incident.

Chief Hamner, in a memo to Weiss Feb. 24, told the officer that he would not be disciplined for the accident.

“I find the collision was avoidable, however, in consideration of your safe driving record (accident-free since 1992) and the fact that you immediately took responsibility for causing the collision, I find no discipline is warranted,” Hamner wrote.

Hamner also noted that Weiss had taken refresher training after the crash. Weiss attended an emergency vehicle operations course, which was required by the city’s insurance pool, three days after the accident.

Though the police car was totaled, accident scene photographs show the crash did not appear to be much more than a fender bender.

A Bainbridge auto repair shop that estimated repairs to the damaged Impala, however, said the vehicle would be too costly to fix, and would be twice as much as the car was worth.

Repairs to the Chevrolet, which had roughly 75,300 miles on it, were estimated $15,790.

The repair shop said the vehicle’s frame had been damaged, but the biggest problem was caused by the deployed air bag system.

The engine wire harness had damaged the front air bag sensor leads, and mechanics said they would not repair the airbag wiring “because it is a huge liability.”