A San Diego motorcycle officer was knocked down a steep embankment Friday morning when a passing pickup hit the SUV the officer was standing near during a traffic stop on a South County freeway.

The injured police officer radioed for help after the fall, and was taken to a San Diego hospital. The 9:50 a.m. incident in Otay Mesa led authorities to close down two lanes of Interstate 905 west of Interstate 805 and issue a traffic alert.

The officer had been standing at the passenger window of a Nissan Xterra he stopped, California Highway Patrol Officer Jake Sanchez said. The officer’s motorcycle was parked behind the SUV when a white Ford F-150 pickup truck struck both the motorcycle and the red SUV.

The impact sent the officer tumbling down the sloped embankment — roughly a 50- to 75-foot drop.


“That’s a large embankment, so he went down quite a ways to the bottom of the embankment there,” Sanchez told reporters, including OnScene.TV.

The Xterra driver made his way down the hill to help the officer, Sanchez said.

Several agencies responded to rescue the officer, who was taken by ambulance to a hospital. Sanchez said it initially appears he sustained moderate injuries, including lacerations to his face.He also complained of pain in his chest and leg.

The Ford F-150 stopped about 100 yards away from the crash site. The driver stayed on scene and spoke to authorities. The investigation is still under way as to why the pickup drifted into the emergency lane, but Sanchez said neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be factors.


The CHP issued a traffic alert, and officials shut down lanes on westbound Interstate 905 leading to Picador Boulevard shortly after 10:45 a.m.

Sanchez said that whenever someone is working on the roadside — including highway workers and law enforcement officers — the law requires that drivers of passing vehicles move over a lane if possible. If that is not possible, drivers are supposed to slow down and drive with “due regard.” Sanchez said.


teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT


UPDATES:

1:55 p.m.: This story was updated with new information from the California Highway Patrol.

12:25 p.m.: This story was updated at 12:25 p.m. with new information from the CHP. It was initially posted at 10:35 a.m.