SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A CHP officer is recovering in the hospital after being hit by a semi-truck on Highway 50 early Saturday morning.
A California Highway Patrol (CHP) spokesperson says that around 3:10 early Saturday morning, officers responded to a two-vehicle, non-injury hit-and-run collision on eastbound Highway 50 near 16th Street. When officers arrived, they found the two vehicles blocking lanes of traffic. To clear the lanes, the officers activated their overhead emergency lights and exited their patrol vehicles and proceeded to attempt to move the vehicles out of the lanes of traffic.
At this point, around 3:30 AM, while continuing to clear the roadway, a FedEx semi-truck and trailer travelling eastbound collided with one of the officers and his patrol vehicle. Firefighters from the Sacramento Fire Department and the West Sacramento Fire Department responded to the scene, as well as officers and deputies from allied agencies to assist. The officer, who was outside of the patrol vehicle, sustained major injuries and was transported to a local area hospital for treatment.
The CHP’s Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation (MAIT) team responded to collision scene and took over the investigation. Multiple lanes of the freeway were closed as well as on-ramps adjacent to the collision scene. Upon investigation it was determined that the driver of the FedEx truck was driving under the influence. Gabriel Anthony Ramirez, 41, of San Leandro was arrested on charges of driver under the influence of any drug causing injury or death, possession of narcotics and specified non-narcotics, and unlawfully under the influence of controlled substance. He was booked into the Sacramento Main Jail with a total bail amount of $50,000.
The officer was a veteran member of the CHP, assigned to the South Sacramento area office. It is expected that the CHP officer will survive his injuries. The name of the officer was not immediately released. CHP says the officer is recovering at the hospital with his family at his side.
