A San Diego police officer was severely injured Sunday morning after a suspected drunk driver rammed into the driver’s side of his patrol car at the intersection of Mission Gorge Road and Route 125. The driver of a pickup truck allegedly blew through a red light and hit the officer’s car in Santee. Emergency crews worked for over an hour to extricate the officer from the squad car.
“The officer had multiple major injuries including broken bones and internal injuries but is expected to survive,” said San Diego Police Lt. Dan Plein. “I expect it will be a very long, slow recovery.”
The drunk driver did not suffer severe injuries and was arrested at the scene of the car accident according to Fox-5 San Diego. The officer reportedly had just finished dropping off a prisoner at the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility at the time of the crash.
This drunk driving accident comes at a time when California senators are considering expanding the use of ignition interlock devices throughout the state. A bill introduced by San Mateo Senator Jerry Hill would require alcohol-ignition interlock devices to be installed for a year in the cars of repeat DUI offenders. The devices prevent drunk driving by requiring a breath test to start a car.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, “San Diego officer seriously hurt in car crash,” Dec. 30, 2012
