According to a recent report made by Fox 11, a suspected DUI driver was arrested when she crashed her vehicle into a California Highway Patrol cruiser on the 105 Freeway in Downey early Thursday morning.
A spokesperson for the CHP said that the fiery crash happened at approximately 12:17 a.m. when officers were responding to a single-vehicle crash in the freeway’s eastbound lanes near Lakewood Boulevard.
Unable to move the stalled vehicle, officers set up a flare pattern around the car and shut down the carpool lane and the number one lane of the freeway.
At approximately 1:25 a.m., a woman drove through the perimeter of the safety flares and rear-ended a parked CHP cruiser with two officers inside. The force of the impact spun the law enforcement vehicle around clockwise and struck another car and one of the CHP officers standing near it. The CHP cruiser then burst into flame.
A good Samaritan and another CHP officer pulled the two officers from the burning cruiser. At the same time, a second civilian bystander was able to pull the downed CHP officer away from the burning cruiser just before the flames totally engulfed the vehicle.
The three CHP officers were taken to area hospitals to treat injuries ranging from moderate to severe.
One of the officers was so severely injured that one of his fellow officers did not wait for the ambulance but instead loaded him into a CHP cruiser and rushed him to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood. Hospital officials told reporters that he is in extreme pain and may require surgery to address potential fractures and severe burns.
“I applaud those good Samaritans for their courage to step up and then come in and help our officer getting out of the car that was fully engulfed, “said CHP Officer Kevin Tao. “Kudos to them.”
Authorities have identified the suspect driver as 41-year-old Lakia Jackson. Jackson was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Eyewitnesses told investigators that they observed the suspect driving at high speed before the crash.
This is a developing story.
