Afternoon traffic on the Dumbarton Bridge turned chaotic yesterday when a Menlo Park police officer, chasing a suspect vehicle, crashed into an uninvolved driver on the eastbound span. The officer was taken to a hospital and the motorist in the bystander car was not hurt, authorities said. The driver being pursued fled the scene.
According to a be-on-the-lookout bulletin from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, officers were searching for a vehicle connected to an assault with a deadly weapon. Menlo Park police said officers later spotted that car near Bay and Willow roads and tried to pull it over, sparking the pursuit, NBC Bay Area reported. Agencies across the East Bay were alerted as the suspect vehicle continued toward Fremont.
How the chase unfolded
Surveillance cameras reportedly picked up the suspect vehicle near Bay and Willow Road, and Menlo Park officers followed it through the city and onto the Dumbarton Bridge, per CBS Bay Area. The collision with the bystander's car happened just before 1:30 PM, and CBS reported that the driver in the wanted vehicle escaped from the scene.
Traffic and investigation
The California Highway Patrol temporarily shut down several eastbound lanes as emergency crews responded, and aerial footage showed a heavy law enforcement presence across the span, KTVU reported, citing CHP. Officials said tow trucks and other emergency personnel were on scene, and CHP will handle the collision investigation while Menlo Park police and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office continue searching for the suspect.
Menlo Park police asked anyone with video or information to contact their tip line, and commuters were urged to use alternate routes while eastbound traffic on the bridge remained slow or closed, according to CBS Bay Area. No arrests had been reported as of the latest updates, and authorities said the incident remains under investigation.
