Authorities said 44-year-old Juan Huerta-Palacios was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI following the crash.
San Jose, CA. – Officer Long Pham was killed, and another police officer was injured when a DUI suspect rammed into their patrol car Saturday night near an intersection in San Jose.
Authorities said 44-year-old Juan Huerta-Palacios was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI following the crash.
According to the San Jose Police Department, around 9:55 p.m., two of their Community Service Officers were conducting traffic control in the area of Monterey Road and Palm Avenue after an unrelated car collision.
At around the same time, Huerta-Palacios was driving a silver 2022 Dodge Charger southbound on Monterey Road. The driver drove through a flare pattern and crashed into the officers’ patrol car, a 2017 white Ford Fusion CSO, which was parked in the south crosswalk of the intersection.
The crash left Officer Pham and another female officer with serious injuries.
Emergency personnel transported both officers to the hospital. Pham later died while receiving treatment.
The female officer’s injuries were considered non-life-threatening.
Huerta-Palacios was arrested and also hospitalized for an unrelated medical issue. He is expected to be booked into the Santa Clara County Jail when he will be discharged.
Original Story
San Jose, CA. – A San Jose Police Department officer died after being struck by a suspected drunk driver on Saturday night in San Jose.
The fatal collision happened in the area of Palm Avenue and Monterey Road, according to the police department.
Two Community Service Officers (CSOs) under SJPD were conducting a traffic stop in the area when a car struck them.
One officer was killed in the accident.
A second officer was hospitalized with major injuries and is expected to survive.
More details about the accident were not released.
An investigation into the accident is ongoing.
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