Driver Arrested Going Wrong Way on 10 Freeway
California Highway Patrol officers used their vehicle to "intercept" a vehicle going the wrong way on the San Bernardino (10) Freeway in the Pomona area early Thursday, and they arrested the motorist for allegedly driving drunk.
"The incident began around 2:24 a.m. when CHP dispatch started receiving reports of a vehicle traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of the I-10 freeway near Milliken Avenue," the CHP said in a statement.
"Multiple CHP units from Rancho Cucamonga and Baldwin Park were dispatched to intercept the wrong-way driver," the CHP statement said. "The vehicle continued traveling the wrong way on the freeway, creating a hazardous situation for oncoming traffic.
"A CHP Baldwin Park unit had a controlled traffic break in place on eastbound I-10, east of SR-57, when they identified the wrong-way vehicle," the CHP statement said. "The officers used their patrol vehicle to intentionally collide with the wrong-way driver's vehicle, successfully causing it to spin out. The wrong-way vehicle then struck another civilian vehicle before coming to a complete stop. The impact also caused the CHP patrol vehicle to hit the concrete center divider."
The officers got out of their patrol vehicle, detained the suspect, and checked on the person struck in the secondary collision, who reported minor injuries, according to the CHP.
The wrong-way driver was described as a 22-year-old Pomona man. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the CHP. The officers suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local medical clinic.
The suspect's name was not immediately released.
"The California Highway Patrol is committed to protecting the community and enforcing the law to ensure the safety of all drivers," the CHP statement said. "This incident highlights the dangers of impaired driving, and the extraordinary measures CHP officers are ready to take to prevent potential loss of life on our roads."
