Police Officer Crashes Into A Caltrans Truck

A Riverside police officer was hospitalized in "serious but stable" condition after a collision between his patrol vehicle and a Caltrans pickup truck on the 91 Freeway on Saturday afternoon, officials said.



The crash took place just after 4:30 p.m. on the westbound 91 Freeway just east of Van Buren Boulevard, according to Riverside Police Department officials and California Highway Patrol logs.



Police were preparing to reopen the freeway after closing it down due to a woman who had been threatening to jump from an overpass, Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said.



A Caltrans truck swerved toward the officer's SUV, he said.



The injured officer was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition, according to Railsback.



"The seven-year veteran was taken to a local hospital and is currently in stable condition," Riverside police said in a written statement. "He will remain there for observation, but his prognosis is good."



The driver of the Caltrans truck was unhurt, officials said.



Witness video of the crash shows the police SUV and the Caltrans pickup truck heading in the same direction before the pickup truck appears to swerve into the path of the police vehicle, possibly while making a U-turn. The pickup truck appeared to be traveling much slower than the police vehicle prior to the crash.



The cause and circumstances of the crash remained under investigation.