The California Highway Patrol is investigating a traffic accident involving a SLO County Sheriff’s deputy, the department announced last week.
The accident occurred at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5 at the intersection of LaJolla Court and South Oak Park Boulevard in Grover Beach, according to a news release.
“The patrol unit the deputy was driving hit a tree in the yard of a residence at that location,” said Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Cipolla, “which also caused damage to the nearby home. The Deputy was on a routine patrol at the time,” meaning that he or she wasn’t in pursuit of a suspect or responding to an emergency call when he side-swiped a parked car, jumped the curb, barreled through a home’s front porch and hit the tree.
The deputy was taken to the hospital via ambulance, treated for minor injuries and released. Cipolla said no one else was involved in the accident, which is being investigated by the Highway Patrol.
The name of the deputy was not released by the Sheriff’s Office.