An on-duty San Diego Police Department officer was injured when a suspected drunk driver T-boned his patrol car, officials said.
According to Lt. Jim Walker, the collision happened at around 2 a.m. Sunday on westbound Mission Gorge Road at the end of northbound State Route 125 in Santee.
Lt. Walker said an SDPD officer was returning to his beat after dropping off a prisoner at Las Colinas Detention Facility when he was T-boned by a suspected drunk driver in a pick-up truck who ran through a red light.
The driver of the truck was traveling at a high rate of speed. The impact from the crash knocked both vehicles off the roadway, Lt. Walker said.
The victim officer had to be extricated from the wreckage by emergency crews using the Jaws of Life. The process took about 45 minutes.
A witness at the scene said he saw the crash and heard the officer in distress honking his horn inside the wrecked patrol car.
Both the officer and driver of the truck were transported to local hospitals. The officer sustained serious injuries. His current condition is unknown.
Three lanes of Mission Gorge Road were shut down by officials following the collision.
The investigation is ongoing.
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