TURLOCK -- A man and a woman were arrested Thursday morning after police said they were caught when their stolen car crashed.
An officer responding to a call for assistance in pursuing the suspects was involved in a separate crash. He was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released, officials said.
The incident started when Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force officers saw a man and a woman breaking into a white Honda Accord on Tully Road at 7:15 a.m.
As the suspects started to drive away, officers "immediately threw out a spike strip as a preventative measure," according to StanCATT spokesman Alan Pittman. The strip deflated the left front tire of the Honda.
"They tried to flee anyway," Pittman said.
The Honda collided with a city of Turlock vehicle at Tully and Fulkerth roads.
The man ran away, but officers caught him a short time later by Wal-Mart. The woman was taken into custody at the scene.
Nobody was injured in the collision involving the stolen car.
The second accident occurred about 7:25 p.m. when a California Highway Patrol officer following the stolen Honda asked for help. One patrol officer responding was heading north on Tully Road with the lights and sirens on his car going when it came up on a Chevrolet pickup, CHP officer C.J. Allen said.
When the patrol officer, whose name was not released, tried to pass the car on the left, the driver of the truck turned left and the patrol car hit it.
The truck, driven by a 45-year-old Turlock-area man, went into into a utility pole, shearing off the pole.
Allen said the patrol car was damaged beyond repair. While fault hasn't been determined, Allen said the other driver was licensed, insured and not under the influence.
The officer suffered minor injuries. He was treated at Emanuel Medical Center and released. The other driver was unharmed.
The investigation into the incident continues. The CHP is investigating the traffic collision and Stanislaus County law enforcement is looking into the pursuit.
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