Driver who left CHP officer hospitalized for months pleads no contest to DUI charges

A driver who struck a California Highway Patrol officer in 2019, leaving him seriously injured and hospitalized for months, pleaded no contest to DUI charges on Friday.

On Oct. 19, 2019, CHP officer David Gordon was hit by an SUV while directing traffic around malfunctioning railroad crossing gates in Sutter County. He suffered injuries including a fractured pelvis, broken jaw and broken shoulder blade, which required hospitalization at UC Davis Medical Center until February.

Lucas Julian Nelson, who was 21 at the time of the crash, was accused of running away from the SUV he had been driving. He was chased down by Gordon’s uninjured partner and taken into custody.

According to Sutter County Superior Court records, Nelson pleaded no contest to driving under the influence of alcohol, committing a hit-and-run and resisting an officer.

The Marysville Appeal-Democrat reported that Nelson’s pleas were part of a deal with the Sutter County District Attorney’s Office that stipulated he would be put on probation when sentenced — although there was no agreement on whether Nelson would see any jail time. Nelson had initially denied all charges against him.

Gordon, a Yreka native and a 13-year veteran of the CHP, began his career in Santa Rosa before spending more than 10 years at the Yuba-Sutter office. In the early morning hours of Oct. 19, 2019, Gordon and his partner were working on Highway 99 north of Live Oak when a gray SUV turned a corner at high speed. His partner was able to jump out of the way, and subsequently arrested Nelson.

Gordon was flown to Sacramento for medical treatment, where he underwent a seven-hour surgery which necessitated the removal of his spleen to treat internal bleeding. He was released on Feb. 21, 2020, standing on his own with the assistance of a walker.

Court records indicate that Nelson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16.