A sheriff’s deputy was injured Wednesday after a suspected drunk driver crashed into him during a Valley Center traffic stop.
The deputy pulled over a driver around 3:14 p.m. in the 27000 block of N. Lake Wohlford Road and was in the process of searching the vehicle when a Toyota Highlander plowed into him, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Shawn Silva.
The deputy’s right hand was injured during the collision and he was transported to Palomar Medical Center where he was treated and released, Silva said. He is expected to make a full recovery.
There were no other injuries reported.
The California Highway Patrol was called on scene to investigate the crash and determined that the Highlander driver, 61-year-old Guillermo Gutierrez Salazar, was under the influence of alcohol, according to Silva. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of driving under the influence with injury and driving on a suspended license.
–Staff