SUV Hits Police Car after Hit and Run Crash—Three Men Arrested

July 2, 2012 - According to reports an SUV struck a police vehicle after being involved in a hit and run accident in Orange. According to the California Highway Patrol three men in an SUV were attempting to flee the scene of a hit and run accident, when they struck a CHP patrol car at approximately 9:55 a.m. Sunday in Orange. They had just been involved in a hit and run at Chapman Avenue and Prospect Street in Orange and were fleeing the scene.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Paul Pines said that the SUV crashed into the left rear of a CHP patrol car when the Ford Explorer the three men were in exited the 55 Freeway at the Katella Avenue off-ramp in Orange. Sgt. Pines said that the CHP vehicle was pulled over for a traffic stop of a Mazda Protégé, and both vehicles were pushed off of the roadway and into an unpaved embankment, by the Ford Explorer.

The CHP officer was at the side of the Mazda and was able to see the Explorer heading toward the vehicles and get safely out of the way. Sgt. Pines said the CHP officer heard screeching and saw the Explorer in the fast lane of the three lanes at the Katella off-ramp. The officer saw the speeding Explorer turn to the right across the three lanes and hit the police vehicle.

The SUV struck the patrol vehicle and continued down the left side and then struck the left side of the Mazda Protégé. The impact with the Mazda and patrol car caused the SUV’s right front wheel to come off, resulting in the Explorer to skid to a stop, Sgt. Pines said.

Sgt. Pines said the CHP patrol car, the Explorer and the Mazda, whose driver was pulled over for a seatbelt violation were all totaled in the crash. The driver of the Protégé was not seriously injured, even though he was inside of the vehicle at the time of the crash, Sgt. Pines said.

The three men in the Explorer crawled out of the windows and attempted to flee on foot. The CHP officer was able to chase one of the men, who the California Highway Patrol believed to all be gang members. The man was arrested by the CHP officer, Sgt. Pines said.

Orange police arrived on the scene and setup a perimeter in a residential neighborhood the men fled in and arrested both men, Sgt. Pines said. Sgt. Pines said the three men, one from Anaheim and two from Orange, were transported to the hospital after being arrested for treatment of minor injuries. All three men have criminal records and the driver was arrested for suspicion of felony DUI, hit and run and resisting arrest. The other two men were arrested for suspicion of resisting arrest.