Seal Beach Police Officer Recovering After Being Struck By Alleged Drunk Driver During Traffic Stop
SEAL BEACH (CBSLA) — A Huntington Beach man faces charges of hit-and-run and DUI after police say he hit a Seal Beach police officer who was conducting a traffic stop.
The officer, who was not identified, was conducting a traffic stop in the area of Pacific Coast Highway and Mariner Drive at about 3:15 p.m. Saturday. He was standing near his parked patrol car when it was rear-ended by a Ford F-150 going southbound on PCH, police said.
The impact knocked the officer to the ground and he sustained "moderate injuries," police said. A passing Seal Beach police volunteer witnessed the crash and stopped to help the officer and radioed for assistance. The officer was later taken to a hospital.
The truck that hit the officer lost control and struck a nearby wall, and the driver tried to run away from the scene. The driver, who was not hurt in either collision, was found a short distance away and taken into custody without further incident, police said.
Kenneth Jacob Lopez, 30, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and felony DUI.
Police say the investigation into the crash is ongoing. Anyone with information or may have witnessed the crash can call CHP Officer J. Billington at (714) 892-4426.