Oakley officer injured in head-on crash with stolen vehicle

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OAKLEY, CA - Officials said that on Saturday, October 12th, a fleeing suspect collided head-on with a police vehicle, injuring a police sergeant, the suspect, and the suspect's passenger. 

According to CBS News, Oakley officers spotted a vehicle that had been reported stolen speeding on Jersey Island Road heading toward East Cypress Road. The driver of the vehicle was speeding so fast that police laid down spike strips in an effort to disable the vehicle. Though the spikes worked and punctured more than one of the vehicle's tires, the car resumed flight westbound on East Cypress going as "fast as his deflating tires would allow him to go." 

Two officers were staged at East Cypress Road and Knightsten Avenue, where a Valero gas station is. As the suspect headed towards that intersection, the driver began driving the car erratically. With multiple bystanders at the gas station, an officer positioned his vehicle between the station and the fleeing vehicle with his overhead lights flashing and his siren blaring. 

The driver did not stop and a head-on collision occurred between the suspect's vehicle and the police vehicle. Despite being pinned in the car due to the deployment of airbags and the crumpled front end of his cruiser, the sergeant was able to exit his vehicle and assist in the arrest of the suspect. The driver of the stolen vehicle was air-lifted to a hospital. He has survived his injuries and was released from the hospital. He was put in the custody of Oakley police a few hours after that. He has been identified as 29-year-old Devon Singleton.

Singleton has been booked into the county jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, possession of a stolen vehicle, and felony evading. A female passenger in Singleton's car was also taken to the hospital. As of Sunday, October 13th, her condition was still unknown. The officer that was injured was treated for his injuries and released from the hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery. 

According to KTVU, Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard said, "I am very grateful our sergeant will seemingly fully recover from this collision ... I appreciate my team of officers last night as they did what they so commonly do — take a stand against criminals." He added, "It is my understanding many patrons of the gas station and witnesses to this event personally checked on our sergeant last night to see if he was OK. I cannot say how much I appreciate these gestures and displays of concern. Thank you, Oakley!"

Separately, another arrest was made in the same area when police closed the area off to traffic while they were clearing the scene. A driver drove on the shoulder of the road and through a cone pattern. When officers stopped the driver, they determined that he was driving while impaired and arrested him.

According to reports, in another separate incident on scene, the California Highway Patrol noticed a vehicle driving within the field of a construction area. They made contact with the driver where they then performed a field sobriety check. The driver was subsequently arrested from driving under the influence. 
 
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