Sheriff’s deputy stopped at red light hit in Clovis crash. One driver detained for DUI

A Fresno County sheriff’s deputy was taken to a hospital after his patrol vehicle was hit head-on in a Clovis DUI car crash shortly after midnight Saturday, authorities reported.

The deputy was stopped at a red light at the intersection of Willow and Nees avenues.

Two vehicles headed west on Nees collided near the intersection, and the impact carried one of the cars northward. The vehicle hit the deputy’s patrol car head-on, said Tony Botti, public information officer for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

The deputy was hospitalized for a medical evaluation and released a short time later.

Clovis police responded to the collision and is leading the investigation, Botti said. Police detained a 25-year-old woman who was driving one of the vehicles on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Police learned the people in the vehicles that crashed knew each other and were hanging out together earlier in the night.

Brianna Vaccari

The Fresno Bee

559-441-6166

Brianna Vaccari covers Fresno City Hall for The Bee, where she works to hold public officials accountable and shine a light on issues that deeply affect residents’ lives. She previously worked for The Bee’s sister paper, the Merced Sun-Star, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Fresno State.