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 has been left with serious injuries following a car crash involved the Albuquerque police chief - and he and his wife want answers.

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

'It was so fast. I don't think I had time to even brace for it,' Todd told local ABC affiliate KOAT.

Todd inherited the car from his father, who died just months before the crash. He had put thousands of dollars into restoring the family heirloom, all for it to be crushed 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 gashes to his face.

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

'It's been constant pain since the crash,' Perchert told KOAT. 'I haven't driven much since the accident.'

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

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

Medina said he was trying to get away from gunfire coming from a man fighting on the sidewalk next to his parked truck.

'I clearly recall seeing the green light before going through the intersection. Then, all of a sudden, I saw a black truck come out of nowhere and slammed into me on the driver's side,' said Perchert. 

Todd said that his recovery will take time, but he's grateful that he's 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 news conference following the car crash. The family, still shaken from the incident, is seeking to hold the Albuquerque police chief accountable. 

'As a military veteran, I appreciate the men and women that go into the military and law enforcement. These are not easy jobs and take a great deal of sacrifice and dedication. I have a great deal of respect for our law enforcement,' Todd said at the conference. 

'However, I am disappointed in the actions of our police chief and the reaction of Mayor Tim Keller praising the chief's decisions.'

'The chief personally endangered the lives of others, critically injured my husband, and was there laughing and smiling as though none of this had just happened. That behavior is not to be praised,' said Danielle. 

'To make things worse, the mayor praised the chief's actions, that made me sick.' 

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

'This is above and beyond what you expect from a chief. And I'm grateful for Harold Medina,' said Keller. 

'Whether it's our city or the individuals that he helped or potentially the lives that he saved because of the shooting that was happening, we all owe him a debt of gratitude today.'

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

'I don't know why the New Mexico State Police didn't investigate this, as opposed to our police department. I mean, that's the first question,' said the 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,' said Danielle.

According to an APD official, an internal investigation is underway to determine whether policies were adhered to, and a crash review board will evaluate whether the tragedy was preventable.