An Oceanside Police Officer was monitoring traffic in his parked police car early Tuesday morning when a suspected DUI driver slammed into his patrol car in Oceanside, according to police.
Jonathan Shipp Sr., 35, of Escondido was driving a white Kia Optima when he exited State Route 78, driving west at a high speed, police said. As Shipp Sr. entered Vista way, he lost control of the vehicle and drove onto the raised center island, slamming into a parked police patrol car with one officer inside at the 1200 block of Vista Way.
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Upon impact, airbags from both cars were deployed. The force pushed the patrol car over forty feet from where it was parked and caused a lot of front-end damage, police said. Smoke and fire started emitting from the suspect's car.
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The officer left his car at once -- after being crashed into -- and helped rescue the suspect from his vehicle, according to police.
A resident who was nearby used a crowbar to help the officer rescue the suspect from the burning vehicle.
Alcohol bottles were found in his car and the suspect appeared intoxicated, according to police.
Both the officer and the suspect were transported to hospitals to treat non-life threatening injuries.
Shipp Sr., who was already on probation for driving under the influence previously, was arrested for suspicion of felony driving under the influence with injury, police said.
The Oceanside Police Department Major Accident Investigation Team is still investigating the incident.
Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to contact Traffic Collision Investigator Kevin Lissner at (760) 435-4651 or email klissner@oceansideca.org.
