Two Nevada City police officers are back home after a harrowing encounter early Sunday morning with an alleged DUI driver that left them injured. The incident took place around 12:30 a.m. on Highway 49, near the Broad Street on-ramp, where a bear had been struck by a car earlier. The animal's body, alongside the wrecked vehicle, blocked part of the highway prompting a response from the local authorities, CBS Sacramento reports.
While setting up flares for traffic control, officers were hit by a driver, later identified as 28-year-old Geoffrey Rodgers, who did not stop despite the clear signs of an emergency response, which included flashing police lights and road flares. The Nevada City Police Chief, Dan Foss, reflected on the gravity of the situation, "If that person had not been driving under the influence I have no doubt that our officers would not have been struck," as obtained by CBS Sacramento.
According to details from a KCRA interview, the police were shaken, but fortunately, their injuries were non-life-threatening. One officer regained consciousness quickly and called for help while another was taken to the hospital by MedFlight. Their recovery was swift enough to be at home within 24 hours after the incident. Rodgers now faces a felony DUI charge, with the California Highway Patrol taking over the investigation.
The Nevada City community, including Neeraj Ehradwaj, initially braced for the worst before sighing in relief over the officers' survival, "It's unbelievable that they are going to be okay, that they're out of the hospital and going to be alright," Ehradwaj told KCRA. The impact of the event on the small police force was significant, with the department consisting of only 13 officers, including the chief.
The Nevada City Constitution Day parade was in danger of being canceled if the officers had been more seriously injured in the accident. Fortunately, the parade went on, showing the community's relief and the officers' resilience. Rodgers, who caused the accident by driving under the influence, is now in jail with a $75,000 bond, showing the serious consequences of such reckless behavior.
