Law officer flips car on robbery call near Hickman

By Emilie Raguso
eraguso@modbee.com

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HICKMAN -- A Stanislaus County sheriff's deputy flipped his patrol car Tuesday afternoon while responding to a robbery at a rural market when another driver making a turn crossed into his path, officials said.

The officer was unconscious when deputies reached him, said California Highway Patrol officer Tom Killian, but regained consciousness and was talking during his helicopter flight to Memorial Medical Center. He had no visible injuries, Killian said.

The accident could have been "much worse" if the deputy hadn't been wearing his seat belt, Killian said.

Just before 4 p.m., authorities received information that a deputy had crashed near Hickman and Delaware roads, south of Waterford.

Killian said the deputy, whose name will not be released until his family is notified, was responding to an armed robbery call at a market at Lake and Hickman roads.

As the deputy drove south on Hickman and came around a curve north of Delaware, he spotted a driver, heading north on Hickman, starting to turn left in front of him.

Because of the pronounced curve in the road, the 38-year-old Hilmar man did not see the deputy, Killian said.

The man was about a foot into the oncoming traffic lane when the deputy rounded the corner, he said.

To avoid hitting the other vehicle, the deputy steered left and ended up on the eastbound shoulder. The patrol car began to spin clockwise, Killian said. The car traveled along a fence, then sideswiped a power pole on the left. Hitting the pole sent the deputy spinning in the other direction.

As he came back into the road, his patrol car flipped and came to a rest, Killian said.

The vehicles' speeds were not available. The CHP investigation team arrived Tuesday evening to make those calculations.

Bee staff writer Emilie Raguso can be reached at eraguso@modbee.com or 578-2235.