According to Paradise police, the accident happened just after midnight on August 29, 2026, on Highway 99 at Rio Bonito Road.
Gridley, CA – Detective Sergeant John Alvies of the Paradise Police Department was severely injured in a high-speed collision involving a DUI driver that happened early Saturday morning near Gridley.
According to Paradise police, the accident happened just after midnight on August 29, 2026, on Highway 99 at Rio Bonito Road.
The police department reported that at the time of the crash, Sgt. John Alvies was in a marked police patrol vehicle returning from assisting the Gridley Police Department with patrol operations at the Butte County Fair.
A preliminary investigation revealed that Sgt. Alvies was traveling on the highway approaching the intersection of Rio Bonito Road, and 37-year-old Amie Kucera of Oroville was driving a Dodge Journey eastbound on Rio Bonito Road, approaching the same intersection.
Kucera ran through the stop sign and broadsided the patrol car between the driver’s door and engine compartment.
Kucera’s vehicle had two children and an adult male passenger.
Several law enforcement officers from neighboring agencies were traveling the same stretch of Highway 99 at the time of the collision and immediately stopped at the scene to render aid.
The officers assisted Sgt. Alvies before paramedics arrived and transported him to a local hospital, where he was stabilized before being transferred to a larger medical facility capable of providing the specialized care he requires. The sergeant is expected to undergo multiple surgeries due to the nature of the injuries. The injuries are no longer considered life-threatening but are significant and will take a long time to heal, the police department reported.
Kucera was arrested after police suspected she was under the influence. California Highway Patrol officers said open containers were found in the Dodge.
A 6-year-old girl in Kucera’s car was airlifted to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for treatment of her injuries. An 8-year-old in the same car was taken to Enloe Health with unknown injuries. An adult male passenger in the car was also taken to Adventist Health and Rideout in Marysville for treatment. The adult male was also found to be intoxicated but was not arrested.
The Paradise Police Officer’s Association will organize a fundraiser to help Sgt. Alvies’ family raise money for expenses.
The crash is under investigation by the CHP Oroville Office.