Suspected DUI driver crashes into Fresno Police car with K-9 inside

A Fresno Police vehicle carrying a dog inside was struck by a suspected drunk driver Friday evening.

Fresno Police Lt. Brian Valles said a Fresno PD K-9 unit was responding to help California Highway Patrol at a scene of a reported stolen vehicle in the area west of Highway 99 when the crash occurred.

The officer was driving northbound through the intersection of Clinton and Marks avenues with his lights and sirens on when another vehicle broadsided the police car, Valles said.

The collision, which occurred around 6:45 p.m., caused the police SUV to go over the center median and strike a third vehicle.

Police arrested the driver who struck the Fresno PD unit.

Valles said the driver appeared to be intoxicated at the time of the collision, and officers later learned that the man was on probation for a prior DUI charge.

Valles said no one was seriously injured in the collision, including the K-9. However, a 10-year-old who was in the third vehicle was taken to the hospital for complaints of pain and was being examined.

The intersection was closed off for several hours as officers investigated the collision.

This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 9:23 PM.