CAR CRASH: CHP Officer in Critical Condition after 405 Freeway Crash

June 9, 2010

Los Angeles – A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer is currently in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle that was illegally passing up traffic this morning along the San Diego (405) Freeway.

The identity of the CHP officer was not yet released by authorities.

According to the CHP, the 27-year-veteran officer, pulled over a Honda SUV and was making a traffic stop in the right hand shoulder along the northbound lane of the 405 Freeway when an Infiniti Sedan struck him and the Honda SUV at about 8:30am.

Reports indicate that the Infiniti Sedan failed to stop while travelling in the shoulder and it resulted in the collision.

Aside from the CHP officer, 2 people from the Honda SUV and the driver of the Infiniti were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Their identities and conditions were also not released by authorities.

The car accident shut down the freeway in both directions for about two hours before they reopened the southbound lanes.

However, a few hours after it reopened, it was shut down again to give way to a landing helicopter that was carrying fire department officers who conducted their own investigation.

Both lanes remain closed as of writing.

The CHP told the media that the Infiniti driver will be the focus of their investigation and they will determine if any charges will be filed against him after he was interviewed.