SAN DIEGO — A California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer is undergoing surgery Tuesday evening. The officer suffered major injuries to his legs earlier that morning in a crash on State Route 78 in Escondido.
As of Tuesday evening, the department still has not released the officer's name, but says he is a 21-year veteran with the department. One of the officer's coworkers who was on the scene says the officer is from the Oceanside area. CHP says the officer was on duty, but did not say if he was responding to a call at the time of the crash.
"It's never easy to come and tend to your own," said Officer Mark Latulippe. "You never want to see them in that condition."
The collision was reported shortly after 8:55 a.m. on eastbound SR-78 east of Nordahl Road, California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said.
A caller reported that the motorcycle struck the back of a van in the far left lane. CHP confirms he hit the back of a blue Subaru and flew off the motorcycle. The bike then hit another car.
Latulippe says good samaritans and a nurse stopped to help.
The officer was transported to Palomar Medical Center for treatment of major injuries, police said. As of Tuesday evening, the officer is reportedly in "stable" condition.
A SigAlert was issued around 9:10 a.m. shutting down the three left lanes of eastbound SR-78 at Nordahl Road that reopened in the afternoon around 2 p.m. The eastbound onramp on Nordahl Road onto the freeway was also closed.
CHP is hoping witnesses to the crash will call their non-emergency line at 1-800-TELL-CHP.