On Tuesday at about 9:30 p.m., two Santa Barbara Police officers en route to assist a fellow officer crashed their police vehicles into one another in downtown Santa Barbara, leaving both officers injured.
The two officers had been dispatched under a Code 3, meaning they had sirens blaring and were authorized to disobey traffic laws to get to the scene quickly, according to SBPD commander Nathan Beltran, who shared new details on the crash with the Independent. The incident they were responding to was a fellow officer outside a bar on State Street near Joe’s Café “who had an uncooperative suspect and required urgent backup.”
As they were approaching the scene, the two police vehicles collided at the intersection of Anacapa and Cota streets. The two officers were each the sole occupant of their vehicles, and there were no other cars or pedestrians involved in the collision.
According to a witness on the scene, it appeared as though one vehicle was proceeding straight on Cota and the other was turning onto Cota from Anacapa Street. Commander Beltran said that he could not confirm these details as the incident is currently being investigated by California Highway Patrol (CHP).
CHP typically is reserved for highway incidents, but because the accident involved two SBPD officers who were injured and their vehicles, the state agency was called in to “ensure an impartial and independent review,” said Commander Beltran.
Both vehicles had their airbags deployed and hoods crumpled, and both the injured officers were transported to Cottage Hospital for treatment. As of Thursday, they have been released and are recovering from home.
Commander Beltran said that both of the vehicles are insured, and that SBPD may be on the hook for up to $20,000 — a $10,000 deductible per vehicle — after a full assessment of the damage to the cars.
As for the incident on State Street, other officers were able to make it to the scene to assist in handling the “uncooperative suspect” and the crash ultimately did not affect the outcome of that incident.
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