GILROY
– A Gilroy police officer and a 26-year-old local woman were
released from hospitals Monday after their cars collided earlier
that morning on Church Street.
GILROY – A Gilroy police officer and a 26-year-old local woman were released from hospitals Monday after their cars collided earlier that morning on Church Street.
Officer Eric Garcia was traveling southbound on Church Street with lights flashing and siren blaring at 8:04 a.m. Monday, the time of the accident, witnesses reportedly told the California Highway Patrol. The CHP investigates any Gilroy car wreck involving a city police officer.
Garcia was on his way to the scene of another accident when Gudelia Garcia Tacuba, of Gilroy, pulled out in front of him from behind a stop sign on Eighth Street, according to the CHP. Church Street traffic has the right of way at that intersection, doubly so if the traffic includes an emergency vehicle with lights and siren on. CHP officers said Tacuba appeared not to have seen or heard the patrol car.
Garcia was traveling 40 to 45 mph, witnesses told the CHP, and his patrol car hit Tacuba’s small Geo Metro in the driver’s side door before careening into two trees and a low brick wall.
Garcia was flown by helicopter to the San Jose Medical Center, but his injuries did not require hospitalization. Tacuba was taken by ambulance to Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, where she was treated and released.
Garcia isn’t expected to miss any work due to the car crash.
“He’s going on his regular three days off Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and we’ll expect him back to work on Friday,” Gilroy Assistant Police Chief Lanny Brown said Monday evening.
Garcia has five years of experience as a police officer and transferred to the Gilroy force from the California State University-Monterey Bay police in Monterey.
City police could provide little information about the accident Garcia was headed toward. All police could say, as of Monday afternoon, was that it took place at Tenth and Hanna streets, was reported at 8:03 a.m. and involved one vehicle and either a pedestrian or a bicyclist.
