A Turlock Police vehicle crashed Thursday morning while assisting Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputies pursue a reportedly stolen vehicle.
Turlock Police spokesperson Officer Mayra Lewis said that while the officer was en route, he was involved in a collision with an unrelated vehicle. The officer was transported to a nearby hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
The incident began when a man and woman were seen breaking into a white Honda Accord by the Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force. According to StanCATT spokesman Alan Pittman, a spike strip was thrown out immediately as the man and woman started to drive away, deflating the left front tire on the vehicle.
The man and women were arrested on suspicion of car theft, apprehended after their car crashed into a City of Turlock vehicle near the intersection of Tully and Fulkerth Roads.
Neither suspect was injured during the incident. The woman was arrested on the scene, while the man was found later near Wal-Mart.
The officer, whose name has not been released, struck an unrelated vehicle making a left turn, damaging the patrol car beyond repair. The vehicle that was struck, driven by a 45-year old Turlock man, also struck a utility pole after being hit by the police vehicle. The driver was uninjured.
The incident took place at approximately 7:24 a.m. Thursday in the 1700 block of N. Tully Road.
An investigation is still underway by the California Highway Patrol, who will issue a full statement following the conclusion of their investigation.
