Deputy Hit, Injured By Suspected DUI Driver In Valley Center

VALLEY CENTER, CA – A sheriff's deputy suffered minor injuries Wednesday in Valley Center where an SUV, driven by a suspected DUI driver, struck the driver's door of a vehicle the deputy was searching.

The deputy, whose name was not released, sustained an injury to his right hand and was taken to Palomar Medical Center by paramedics for treatment, said Sgt. Shawn Silva. The deputy has since been released and is expected to make a full recovery, Silva said.

The crash occurred at 3:14 p.m. in the 27000 block of North Lake Wholford Road where the deputy was conducting a traffic enforcement stop. The driver of the vehicle was detained and a vehicle search was in progress when a blue Toyota Highlander, traveling north on North Lake Wholford Road, struck the driver's door of the vehicle being searched, Silva said.

After the deputy was taken to a hospital, the California Highway Patrol arrived on scene to conduct the crash investigation and determined the driver of the Toyota Highlander, identified as 61-year-old Guillermo Gutierrez Salazar of Valley Center, was under the influence of alcohol, Silva said.

Salazar was arrested and booked for felony DUI with injury and driving on a suspended license, Silva said.

There were no other injuries related to this crash.

By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock