Officer Frank Huerta injured in collision while responding to call
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula Police Department
Published: May 02, 2008
A Santa Paula Police Officer was hospitalized and released after treatment for the moderate injuries he received after a motorist allegedly ran a stop sign and collided with his patrol car Wednesday evening.
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula Times
A Santa Paula Police Officer was hospitalized and released after treatment for the moderate injuries he received after a motorist allegedly ran a stop sign and collided with his patrol car Wednesday evening.
SPPD Officers were dispatched to the 400 block of South Palm Avenue at about 7:47 p.m. in reference to the report of a juvenile problem, according to SPPD Senior Officer Paul Spencer.
“While officers were enroute to the location, a vehicle traveling westbound on Santa Maria Street failed to stop for the posted stop sign and collided,” with the southbound SPPD patrol car traveling on Palm Avenue.
The SPPD Officer lost consciousness as a result of the crash, suffered burns to his arms from the airbag inflation and hit his head on the patrol vehicle’s computer keyboard.
Santa Paula Fire EMTs and AMR paramedics treated the officer on scene before he was transport by ambulance to Santa Paula Hospital, where he was treated and released.
The SPPD Major Accident Investigation Team responded to the scene, as did the California Highway Patrol.
Senior Officer Spencer said that the driver of the vehicle that hit the officer complained of minor nausea after the accident and was transported to Santa Paula Hospital for observation.
The unidentified driver “was not cited at this time due to the ongoing investigation being conducted by the California Highway Patrol,” he added.
Police Chief Steve MacKinnon said that Officer Frank Huerta is home recovering from his injuries: “He was shaken up a little bit, will be sore for a few days but is doing okay,” and will remain off duty until better.
“In these kinds of accidents, even if you don’t think you’re injured,” physical impacts can emerge after the fact.
Although there have been other patrol car accidents in the past, Chief MacKinnon said that “property wise this is very severe, we’re assuming the vehicle was totaled...”
The CHP investigation, he added, is “per our policy.”
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