San Pablo Police Officer Killed In Motorcycle Crash On I-80 In Vallejo
VALLEJO (CBS SF) -- A police officer was identified as the motorcyclist who was killed when he was hit by a big rig truck in Vallejo Thursday morning.
San Pablo Police Officer William K. Zink was struck by the big rig on westbound Interstate 80, according California Highway Patrol Officer David Harvey.
Zink, 53, of Dixon, was commuting to work on a 2001 Harley Davidson motorcycle between a Nissan Titan in one lane and a Freightliner truck with a flatbed trailer in another lane around 6:25 a.m. said Harvey.
His motorcycle collided with the Nissan and Zink was ejected and struck by the big-rig. He was pronounced dead at 6:45 a.m.
Zink was a school resource officer at Helms Middle School in San Pablo. The founder of a community group, Bay Area Peacekeepers, shared news of Zink's death on a Facebook post, saying, "We lost a good officer that really cared about the kids and the San Pablo community. And yes the kids are getting grief counseling at the school. It's so beautiful how the school staff and service providers came together so quick to help the kids."
"Today was rough," Helms' principal, Jessica Petrilli, told KPIX 5's Joe Vazquez. "A lot of students are in pain, people crying."
Officer Zink, who went by Ken, spent six years with the El Cerrito police department before joining the San Pablo force, where he spent the past nine years.
"I'm really going to miss working with him every day," Petrilli said.
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