SUV Hits Patrol Car

Cottage Springs, CA — An SUV recently slammed into a CHP patrol car on Highway 4 in Calaveras County.

It was the second accident reported just west of Cottage Springs on Saturday afternoon. The CHP reports that 35-year-old Jose Toledo-Jimenez of Ceres lost control of his 2003 Ford and went off the road and collided with a tree. It was snowing at the time which led to slick conditions. The accident happened at 1:50pm. Jimenez and his passengers were not injured.

Jimenez later sat inside the CHP patrol car waiting for a tow truck to arrive, when a GMC SUV began fishtailing down Highway 4 and slammed into the patrol car. The second accident was reported at 3pm. Jimenez briefly lost consciousness and was flown to a hospital outside the area to treat non-life-threatening injuries. The driver, Jose Velchis, 48, of Livermore, was not injured.

An investigation is ongoing. The CHP notes that Velchis could face charges for not having snow chains on his vehicle, despite it being an all wheel drive.