Calif. Police Officer Frees Self from Head-On Crash to Help Catch Fleeing Driver

OAKLEY, CA — An Oakley police sergeant was hospitalized Saturday following a head-on crash that ended a police pursuit on city roads, authorities said.

The sergeant was released from a hospital after treatment, as was the driver of the vehicle being pursued, according to a statement from city spokesperson Danielle Navarro. A medical helicopter airlifted the driver to a hospital, she said.

A female passenger in the vehicle also was hospitalized and expected to be OK.

Police arrested the driver on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, possession of a stolen vehicle and felony evading, Navarro said. Jail records listed him in custody Monday morning but did not indicate the bail amount on which he was being held.

It all happened after the pursuit started about 6:10 p.m., when Oakley police spotted a vehicle they knew had been stolen, speeding on Jersey Island Road going towards East Cypress Road, Navarro said.

Police initially put down spike strips to stop the driver, and they punctured more than one of the tires. Despite that, Navarro said the driver continued his escape attempt, going westbound on East Cypress Road.

Navarro said that as the suspect headed toward the intersection of East Cypress Road and Knightsen Avenue, an Oakley police sergeant deployed near a gas station at the intersection saw the vehicle driving erratically.

With patrons at the gas station, the sergeant positioned his patrol vehicle between the station. The vehicle endured a head-on collision that crumpled the front side of the patrol car and activated its airbags, Navarro said. The sergeant momentarily was trapped inside the car but eventually freed himself and helped to apprehend the driver.

Police closed down East Cypress Road for about 45 minutes to investigate and process the scene. According to Navarro, the California Highway Patrol arrested a driver on suspicion of driving under the influence who tried to go past the scene on the shoulder of the road.

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