Two California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers sustained minor injuries early Thursday morning after using their patrol vehicle to stop a drunk driver traveling the wrong way on the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles County.
Incident and Initial Response
The incident began around 2:30 a.m. when CHP received reports of a vehicle traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes near Rancho Cucamonga. Officers quickly mobilized to intercept the driver, who was creating a hazardous situation for oncoming traffic.
As the wrong-way driver continued toward Pomona, officers implemented a traffic break on the eastbound 10 Freeway just east of the 57 Freeway interchange. In a decisive maneuver, CHP officers intentionally collided with the suspect’s vehicle, successfully causing it to spin out. The impact also sent the patrol vehicle into the concrete center divider.
Following the collision, the wrong-way driver struck another civilian vehicle before coming to a complete stop. The two CHP officers, despite their injuries, immediately exited their damaged patrol car to assist the innocent driver involved in the secondary crash, who fortunately suffered only minor injuries.
Arrest and Medical Treatment
The wrong-way driver, identified as a 22-year-old man from Pomona, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. The injured CHP officers were transported to a local hospital for treatment of their minor injuries sustained during the high-risk intervention.
