A suspected drunken driver was arrested Monday night crashing into a sheriff's patrol car in Inverness, authorities said.
Jorge Mata, 47, of Inverness was taken into custody for further investigation, said sheriff's Lt. Doug Pittman. Mata was not injured.
Sheriff's Deputy Doug Allen was not injured in the incident, but his car sustained heavy damage to the front left quarterpanel and front bumper, Pittman said.
Mata's passenger suffered facial injuries when his head was thrust into the windshield, but he declined medical treatment against the advice of firefighters, said county fire Senior Capt. Joseph Moreno. The passenger later had a friend drive him to a hospital.
The incident occurred around 5:15 p.m., after a resident flagged down deputies to report that a pickup truck had crashed into a parked car and drove away on Drake Summit Road, Pittman said.
As two patrol cars went up the road, the suspect vehicle came down. Allen, in the lead car, turned on his flashing lights, but the truck did not stop and crashed into Allen's vehicle near Balboa Avenue, Pittman said.
The California Highway Patrol was investigating the crash, said CHP Officer Eric Hohmeister.
Contact Gary Klien via email at [email protected]
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