Calif. Highway Patrol Sergeant's Leg Broken in Hit-and-Run Crash

March 23, 2022
A Solano County sheriff's deputy found and apprehended a recent immigrant from the Czech Republic who faces felony charges after he allegedly fled the scene following a collision with a CHP sergeant.

A California Highway Patrol sergeant was injured in a hit-and-run Monday night before a Solano County sheriff's deputy found and detained the suspect in Rio Vista.

About 7:20 p.m., the CHP issued a "Be On the Lookout" alert to law enforcement agencies in the region. Officers were looking for a suspect vehicle involved in the hit-and-run that injured the sergeant from the CHP Napa office, the Rio Vista Police Department announced in a news release Tuesday.

About 8:45 p.m., Deputy Russel Lopez spotted a vehicle matching the suspect description, police said. Lopez had been temporarily assigned as a night-shift officer for Rio Vista police. The deputy pulled over the vehicle near Highway 12 and North Fifth Street.

The vehicle's driver did not speak English; he arrived in the United States less than a week ago from the Czech Republic, police said. The deputy communicated with the man using a translation service and detained him without further incident.

Officers from the CHP Solano office arrived at the scene of the traffic stop and determined the driver and vehicle were involved in the hit-and-run. Police said the CHP took over the investigation and arrested the driver on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.

The CHP sergeant suffered a broken leg in the collision, but he was expected to recover, according to the Police Department.

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(c)2022 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.)

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