An Oakland police officer was injured Sunday after a pair of police patrol cars were involved in a fiery crash during the pursuit of a suspect, police told the Mercury News. It was the second Oakland police vehicle in as many days to burst into flames after a crash.
Sunday's crash occurred in the Fruitvale district at Carrington Street and 38th Avenue, where the pursuing patrol car, an SUV, collided with another patrol car, the Mercury News reported. The police SUV burst into flames, but the officer was able to escape without serious injury, according to witnesses. The officer driving the other patrol car reportedly was taken away in an ambulance. His condition was unknown.
The suspect being pursued was detained after reportedly crashing the vehicle he was driving into some parked cars about a mile from the police collision.
Sunday's crash came just hours after another Oakland police patrol car was invloved in a fiery crash on Interstate 580. In that collision, police chased a carjacking suspect onto the freeway around 11 p.m. Saturday. During the pursuit, another car stopped in the patrol car's path and the officer swerved, crashing into a pole. The officer's car caught fire, but he was not seriously injured.
The suspect in that pursuit was later arrested in San Leandro.
