Jayati Ramakrishnan
The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland police officer suffered non-life threatening injuries after being hit by an impaired driver on early Sunday morning.
The officer was walking back to his car around 2:30 a.m. after investigating a fight at the Lux Hookah Lounge on Southeast Powell Boulevard, when a Honda Accord traveling westbound on Powell Boulevard came toward him. According to a Portland Police Bureau news release, the officer tried to avoid being hit by tucking up against his police car, but the mirror of the passing car hit him. The officer was taken to his hospital and treated for his injuries, and is now recovering at home.
Other officers pursued the Honda Accord and arrested the driver, Carlos Zamora, 22. He was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants, failure to perform the duties of a driver involving injury, reckless driving and fourth-degree assault.
This is the second incident in recent days where police officers were injured in traffic crashes while responding to calls. On May 19, two Portland police officers were hospitalized after a car hit a patrol vehicle while the officers were responding to a call.
The officers were responding to a report of an assault in the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, and were standing outside their vehicles. A passing car crashed into the back of one of the patrol vehicles, which caused the patrol car to hit the officers. The driver of the passing car was also injured.
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©2019 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.)