CHP officer injured in crash near Knights Ferry

A California Highway Patrol officer suffered minor injuries Monday night when a vehicle smashed into the back of his patrol car while he was parked on the shoulder of Highway 120 east of Knights Ferry.

Officer Eli Dillon was on the south shoulder of eastbound Highway 120 near Green Springs Road, where he’d assisted another officer with a crash, said CHP Officer Nick Norton.

Dillon and the other officer, parked in front of him, had just cleared the scene and were about to pull back onto the highway when a Toyota Camry drove into the back of Dillon’s patrol car at a speed of about 60 mph.

Norton said it was raining and the Toyota had just come out of a curve in the road with a suggested speed of 40 mph when the driver lost control.

After striking the rear of the patrol car, the Toyota hit the hillside and rolled over onto its roof, facing north. The patrol vehicle was pushed forward and came to rest on its wheels facing east.

After the crash, Dillon and the other officer assisted the three men inside the Toyota. One passenger had minor cuts on his left hand; the driver and the other passenger were not injured.

Dillon had back pain from the impact; he was treated at an area hospital and released.

Norton said the driver, 21-year-old Omar Allen of Burlingame, will be found at fault in the crash.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 3:17 PM with the headline "CHP officer injured in crash near Knights Ferry."