CHP officer suffers serious injuries in Placer County crash, agency says

A California Highway Patrol officer with the agency’s Auburn office and another person suffered serious injuries Tuesday when an SUV crashed into a patrol vehicle on Interstate 80 in Placer County, authorities said.

The CHP officer had just finished an “enforcement stop” east of Horseshoe Bar Road, and was waiting to get off of eastbound Interstate 80 with a person in his patrol car, according to the CHP’s news release.

A Toyota Highlander driver rear-ended the patrol car before the Toyota also crashed into a tow truck, the CHP said. The SUV flipped across highway lanes, causing major damage to the patrol car, the CHP said.

The CHP officer and his passenger were taken to a hospital, the CHP said. The crash caused traffic delays as lanes were temporarily closed.

Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash, according to the news release. The SUV driver suffered minor injuries, the CHP said.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the CHP’s Auburn office at 916-663-3344 or by email at 220PIO@chp.ca.gov.