Turlock officer in hospital but upbeat after stepping in car's path

TURLOCK -- A Turlock police sergeant hit by a car while on a burglary call over the weekend remains hospitalized but is in good spirits, officials said.

Sgt. Anthony Silva had responded to a report of a burglary in progress Friday in the 100 block of South Berkeley Avenue when the accident occurred about 6:30 p.m.

He had drawn his gun on two suspects when he stepped into the path of an oncoming car, reports said.

Silva suffered a broken leg and other injuries and remains in a local hospital.

"I just got done visiting with Tony," Lt. Nino Amirfar said Monday afternoon. "He's doing very well."

Silva, who underwent lengthy surgery on his leg, likely will remain hospitalized through the week and then have a lengthy recovery process.

"It's going to be a long road back," Amirfar said.

As for the original burglary call, a check of the residence in the area showed it had not been entered and nothing was stolen. Amirfar said Silva might have interrupted would-be burglars before they could get that far, or the two suspects might have been only trespassing on the property. When the sergeant was struck, the suspects left the scene.

The woman driving the car that hit Silva has cooperated with authorities.

"She was very upset," Amirfar said. "We've been in contact with her pretty much every day."

Amirfar said he called the woman, whose name was not released, Sunday evening. "Tony wanted to make sure I let her know that everything's OK."

Silva also wanted to express his gratitude for the outpouring of support he and the department have received since the accident, Amirfar said: "He's thankful to everyone in the community."

Breaking News Editor Patty Guerra can be reached at pguerra@modbee.com or (209) 578-2343. Follow her on Twitter, @pattyguerra.