Pedestrian Seriously Injured In Redwood City Police Officer Crash
REDWOOD CITY (CBS SF) -- A pedestrian was critically hurt Wednesday morning when a Redwood City police officer lost control of her vehicle while responding to a report of a home invasion, authorities said.
The incident began with a 911 call at 9:47 a.m. reporting a possible home invasion robbery in progress in the 300 block of Poplar Avenue involving four masked males suspects.
Redwood City police said a K-9 patrol officer was headed to the reported robbery from James Avenue, just a few blocks away, and was driving southbound on El Camino when the crash happened.
Nearby surveillance cameras captured the whole thing.
Employees at area businesses who saw the footage said a man had jaywalked across El Camino and was standing on the median.
At some point, the officer lost control of her vehicle on the wet pavement, and skidded left over the median, where the man was standing. Surveillance video shows the man was struck by the patrol car's right side as it swept over the dirt mound and bushes on the center median.
The vehicle careened into the opposing lanes of traffic and collided with two other vehicles traveling northbound on El Camino Real.
The pedestrian was transported to a local trauma hospital for his injuries, which police said were believed to be serious.
The officer involved in the collision -- a 12-year veteran -- was also transported to a local hospital as a precaution. The police canine riding in the patrol car did not appear injured but was examined by a veterinarian.
The drivers of the other vehicles involved in the collision were assessed for injuries by responding paramedics and released at the scene.
The Redwood City Office of the California Highway Patrol (CHP), with assistance of the CHP's Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) is investigating the collision. The roadway was closed for hours until the investigation at the scene was finally completed after 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The pedestrian involved in this accident was identified and his family notified. According to Redwood City police, he is recovering from surgery in ICU and is in critical, but stable, condition at a local trauma center.