OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) – A suspected drunken driver was arrested after Oceanside Police said he crashed his car head-on into a parked patrol vehicle early Tuesday morning.
The crash happened at around 1:35 a.m. in the 1200 block of Vista Way, near South Moreno Street, according to Oceanside Police officials.
Police said an officer was observing traffic while inside a patrol car parked in the center median when a white Kia Optima sedan that exited from westbound state Route 78 at a high rate of speed lost control and slammed into the police vehicle.
According to police, the impact caused the airbags in both cars to deploy and “pushed the patrol vehicle over forty feet from its parked location.”
“The crash caused such extensive damage that smoke and fire began to emit from the engine compartment,” police added.
The officer was able to get out of the damage patrol car and attempted to free the Kia’s driver, who was trapped in the wreckage following the crash.
A nearby resident helped the officer by using a crowbar to pry one of the Kia’s doors open.
The officer was taken to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries; the sedan’s driver was transported to Scripps La Jolla Hospital after suffering cuts and bruises from the collision, ABC 10News learned.
The driver, identified by police as 35-year-old Escondido resident Jonathan Shipp Sr., was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence with injury. He was on probation for previously driving under the influence, according to police.
Police noted alcohol bottles were seen inside the Kia and Shipp Sr. “showed signs of intoxication” at the scene.
