Rookie SFPD officer arrested, accused of DUI crash

An off-duty San Francisco police officer was arrested early Saturday morning on allegations of driving under the influence after being involved in a collision that left five people injured, including one who had severe injuries.

The two-vehicle collision occurred just before 2 a.m. at Sunset Boulevard and Rivera Street, according to a news release from the San Francisco Police Department.

Police officers responded and found three people in the victims' vehicle who were injured. All were hospitalized, with one victim's injuries described as life-threatening.

Ryan Kwong, an SFPD officer who just began field training, was identified as the driver of the vehicle that is suspected to have caused the collision. He and a passenger were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, police said.

During the investigation, police allegedly determined that Kwong was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. He was arrested and booked into San Francisco County Jail on several allegations, including driving under the influence, causing injuries.

SFPD confirmed that Kwong was a graduate of the department's 284th academy class, which was sworn in on Thursday.

Outgoing police Chief Bill Scott said in a statement that his "heart goes out to the injured victims."

"We will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served in this case. No one is above the law, and our officers know they are expected to obey the law, as well as our strict code of conduct even while off duty," Scott said.

Tracy McCray, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, the union that represents the department's officers, said in a statement that the union does not provide legal support for incidents that occur off-duty and offered prayers for the victims.

"There is no excuse for drunk driving, especially for police officers. If the allegations are true, he should be held fully accountable for his actions and the harm he's caused," McCray said.

In a post on social media, San Francisco's Mayor Daniel Lurie called the crash "incredibly upsetting."

"Our police officers work hard to keep San Franciscans safe, and we expect them to follow the law on and off duty—no exceptions," he continued.

Some neighbors who live close to the crash site recalled being jolted awake at around 2 a.m. by the sound of the crash. Others saw the two impacted vehicles in the street the following morning, a sedan and a van, which both appeared seriously damaged by the crash.

At the scene, a woman, who did not want to be interviewed on camera, shared that her sister was seriously injured in the crash, and was undergoing surgery on Saturday.

Donna Hurowitz, who lives about two blocks away, said her husband saw the impacted cars when he woke up Saturday morning.

"He saw an accident in which it looked like a car had wrapped around itself on the light pole, severely enough to knock the light pole down," Hurowitz said.

Photos of the crash show the light pole in the median bent in half around the van.

Supervisor Joel Engardio, who represents District 4 where the crash occurred, posted on social media about the crash, noting that city crews had to remove the pole.

"We just cannot tolerate this type of reckless behavior in our society, so anyone who engages in this kind of behavior needs to be held accountable," Engardio said in an interview on Saturday.

Michael Leininger, a security consultant and retired San Jose police officer, said that it is likely the officer involved with the crash will be put on administrative leave, pending review.

"Some agencies will let the process play out, others agencies will go for termination immediately," Leininger said.

"Everything I’m reading indicates they’re very upset about this, they’re not backing him up, and they shouldn’t," Leininger continued.

Bay Area criminal defense attorney Rabin Nabizadeh, speaking from his experience with other cases, said that Kwong's case is still in the very early stages.

"I think we should keep an open mind, see how this plays out," Nabizadeh noted.

He added that other factors, such as Kwong's blood alcohol content and the condition of the victims, may factor into what direction this case takes.

"It's also not clear what caused the accident and whether the accident could have been caused by what would be termed legally as 'gross negligence,' which would dramatically increase the penalties for this accident," Nabizadeh said.

Police said the investigation was ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact the SFPD at (415) 575-4444. Tips can be texted to TIP411 and should start with "SFPD."