SAN DIEGO — Two California Highway Patrol officers suffered moderate injuries Thursday morning when a car being pursued from Orange County struck them in Solana Beach, authorities said.
Dispatchers received a call around 4:20 a.m. from a person who reported an armed robbery at a Chevron on Alicia Parkway near Interstate 5 in the Laguna Hills area, Orange County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.
The caller also reported that a man armed with a gun left the area in a vehicle, described as a black Dodge Charger, Braun said, adding that investigators later determined that the suspect was involved in a road rage incident -- not a robbery -- and threatened the victims with a gun in the parking lot of the Chevron before taking off. No injuries were reported from that incident.
Deputies responded to the area and located the vehicle a short time later, but the vehicle entered southbound Interstate 5 and sped off, Braun said. The driver continued southbound on Interstate 5 then exited at Lomas Santa Fe Drive around 5 a.m., San Diego County Sheriff's Lt. Fran Passalacqua said.
On Lomas Santa Fe Drive, two CHP officers spotted the car and were on foot when they tried to confront the driver, but the driver sped off, striking the officers, according to police. Both officers were taken to a hospital with moderate injuries, one with a broken ankle, according to reports.
The vehicle involved in the pursuit was found unoccupied near the intersection of La Floresta and Linea Del Cielo around 5:10 a.m., Passalacqua said. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department confirmed they were conducting an investigation into an officer-involved shooting, but did not disclose any additional details.
The suspect was located around 5:50 a.m. near La Floresta and taken into custody, Lt. Jason Vickery said. No details about the suspect were immediately available.
Below is a photo of the suspects car involved in the chase.
