SAN MARCOS (CNS) - An Escondido police officer was injured Saturday on state Route 78 when a vehicle lost a wheel and hit the police vehicle.
The collision happened about noon when a 40-year-old Vista woman was traveling westbound SR-78 in a 2015 Chevrolet 2500 pickup east of Twin Oaks Valley Road, said Juan Escobar of the California Highway Patrol.
For an unknown reason, the left rear wheel of her vehicle detached, went over the center median into the eastbound lanes and struck the Escondido Police Department's Ford Explorer Police Interceptor, Escobar said. The wheel damaged the police vehicle's roof and windshield.
The wheel continued on and struck a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado that was traveling behind the police vehicle.
The driver of the Silverado was a 22-year-old man from Escondido, and it was not known if he was injured.
The police officer suffered minor injuries, Escobar said. The CHP, Escondido Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff's Department and San Marcos Fire Department responded to the scene.
The incident remained under investigation.
