KTLA

NorCal CHP Officer Struck by Speeding SUV While Directing Traffic; Suspected DUI Driver Arrested

The scene after a California Highway Patrol officer was hit by a car near railroad crossing gates north of Live Oak on Oct. 19, 2019. (Credit: CHP)

A California Highway Patrol officer was injured after he was struck by a speeding SUV while directing traffic around a Northern California railroad crossing.

The Sacramento Bee reports Saturday that two officers were directing traffic at around 1 a.m. around malfunctioning rail crossing gates near the city of Live Oak some 50 miles north of Sacramento.

Sgt. Nelda Banuelos says an SUV sped around a curve and struck one of the officers. She says the other officer chased down the driver of the SUV after he fled on foot.

Twenty-one-year-old Lucas Julian Nelson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence with great bodily injury. He is being held on $50,000 bail.

The injured officer was flown to University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

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