SUMAS, Wash. — About 9:30pm on Sunday, February 27th, first responders were dispatched to the 9300 block of Easterbrook Road (SR9) after a Sumas Police officer’s patrol vehicle was reported having been struck by a SUV during a traffic stop.
According to unconfirmed law enforcement radio transmissions at the time, the officer had pulled over a commercial vehicle and was conducting a traffic stop on the side of the road. According to Washington State Patrol Trooper Anthony Reese, a SUV crashed into the rear of the parked patrol vehicle. The officer radioed for medical aid and reported getting out of the patrol vehicle to check on the other driver.
The speed limit in that section of road is 50mph.
Whatcom County Fire District 14 Fire Chief Jerry DeBruin told Whatcom News the officer had been sitting in the patrol vehicle with the emergency lights on when the SUV struck the driver’s side rear corner. The SUV then left the road and ended up approximately 300 yards away in a field.
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Click for more informationBoth the officer and the driver that crashed into the patrol vehicle were transported to PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center by ambulance with minor injuries according to Reese.
An official with Sumas Police said via Twitter at 6:25am, “Our Officer is home and recovering.”
The 27-year-old driver of the SUV was determined to have been driving impaired and arrested for driving under the influence. As of the morning of February 28th, the driver remained in custody at the Whatcom County Jail pending being able to post a $1,000 bond. The case is scheduled to be heard in Whatcom County District Court.