A California Highway Patrol officer suffered serious injuries Thursday when he was struck in the leg by a tire that flew off a car passing the scene of a crash involving a man suspected of drunken driving on Interstate 15 in the Serra Mesa area, officials said.
The initial crash happened shortly before 1:15 a.m. on southbound I-15 near Friars Road and involved a silver Dodge minivan and a white Infinity sedan, California Highway Patrol Officer Tommy Doerr said.
The driver of a 1991 Acura Integra was passing the crash scene traveling around 60 mph when the tire detached and struck an officer in the leg shortly after 1:45 a.m., Sanchez said.
The officer was transported to a hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries, Sanchez said.
The Acura driver remained at the scene and was cooperating with CHP officers, Doerr said.
No other injuries were reported.
A man driving the Infinity was arrested on suspicion of DUI, Doerr said.
CHP officers closed the right three lanes of southbound I-15 near Friars Road around 2:45 a.m., Doerr said. They were reopened shortly before 4:55 a.m.
CHP officers were investigating the incident.
Updated at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 13. 2018
— City News Service
