A Riverside County sheriff’s deputy chasing an assault suspect across a Moreno Valley street on Wednesday, June 25 was hospitalized after being struck by a driver who authorities said fled before being arrested.
The deputy suffered “pretty significant injuries, but he’s expected to survive,” said California Highway Patrol Officer Keith Ballantyne, whose agency is investigating the collision.
The events unfolded a few minutes after 9 p.m. Deputies were investigating a report of an assault with a deadly weapon near Indian Street and Alessandro Boulevard when a deputy ran across Alessandro, attempting to catch a suspect, Ballantyne said.
The driver of a white Honda Accord traveling east on Alessandro struck the deputy near Brandt Drive and continued driving, Ballantyne said. Deputies found the abandoned car at an apartment complex on Alessandro about three-quarters of a mile away. They detained two people as they approached the car and arrested the driver, Ballantyne said.
The man was booked on suspicion of felony hit and run. It does not appear that the driver intentionally hit the deputy, Ballantyne said.
Images from the scene shot by freelance videographer ONSCENE.TV show the sedan missing its passenger side-view mirror. A handcuffed man appearing to be in his 20s is seen being questioned.
The driver was not connected with the assault call, said Lt. Dierdre Vickers, a Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman. The assault suspect was captured and no injuries were reported, Vickers said.
