A Seal Beach Police officer ended up hospitalized after a DUI driver crashed into his patrol vehicle during a traffic stop in Seal Beach, California. The collision, which happened on Saturday, October 10th, involved Kenneth Jacob Lopez, 30.
The police’s crash report disclosed that the officer had pulled over another vehicle in the area of Pacific Coast Highway and Mariner Drive around 3:15 p.m. During the traffic stop, the officer stood next to his parked vehicle when a Ford F-150 pickup truck rear-ended the official car.
Have you or a loved one been involved in an accident? Speak to a lawyer for a free no obligation consultation
Or call us at (888) 699-7975
The collision impact knocked the policeman to the ground. A volunteer with the police department, who was driving by, witnessed the crash, stopped his vehicle to assist the officer, and reported the accident.
Responding paramedics took the officer to a local hospital to treat moderate injuries. The police said that soon after the collision, the Ford driver, Lopez, a Huntington Beach resident, lost control of it and hit a wall.
The suspect tried to flee the scene, but officers with the Huntington Beach Police Department took him into custody. Lopez faces charges of felony hit-and-run and felony driving under the influence.
The man, who was uninjured in the crash, would need a drunk driving attorney’s expertise. The investigation into the accident is ongoing, and there’s no additional information at this time.
Under the California Vehicle Code, it is an offense to flee the accident scene and drive with a blood-alcohol level of .08%. A person convicted of both or either of the two faces imprisonment and payment of fines.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.