Police said Sgt. Timothy Simpson, a 20-year veteran, became the fourth member of the Philadelphia police force killed on the job in 2008 Monday night when his vehicle collided at high speed with a suspected drunk driver, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Witnesses said the two-vehicle crash was so violent Simpson's police cruiser was thrown into the wall of a nearby building.

Officials said Simpson died 30 minutes after the crash while the status of the two people in the second car was not immediately available, the Inquirer said.