Three people were injured - including a Santa Paula police officer and Explorer - Saturday evening when police were responding with lights and siren to assist a California Highway Patrol officer who was involved in a foot pursuit.
The incident, according to Santa Paula Police Department Senior Officer Scott Varner, occurred December 19 at approximately 8:17 p.m. Upon notification of the CHP pursuit, SPPD Officer Jeremy Watson, accompanied by a 15-year-old female Explorer on a ride-along, activated his lights and siren while traveling west on East Harvard Boulevard and approaching 10th Street when a vehicle turned left in front of the police vehicle. The vehicles, said Varner, collided head on.
The unidentified driver of the second vehicle suffered a concussion and was transported to Ventura County Medical Center, where he was treated and released. Watson and the Explorer were transported to Santa Paula Hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries and released.
“The Explorer suffered from bruises and cuts” and “a sprain to her ankle,” said SPPD Lieutenant Carlos Juarez. Officer Watson seemed to be fine,” and after being medically cleared “continued to work most the night. He didn’t complain of any pain... of course, that doesn’t come until later.”
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident, standard operating procedure. “Whenever we have a major accident involving a police unit we request an outside agency handle the investigation so it’s independent of us.”
The accident, Juarez added, was captured on the surveillance video camera of a nearby business. “It shows definitely when Officer Watson entered the intersection the light was green... his lights were on,” and although the tape does not record sound, witnesses said the siren was activated. After the accident the traffic light stayed green for several seconds, “so clearly Officer Watson had the right-of-way.”
