A San Jose police officer had a close shave early Wednesday morning when he rammed his SUV into the back of a big rig on Highway 84 in Livermore, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The officer was heading home around 12:10 a.m. when he collided with the back end of a big rig that was stopped in a construction zone at Ruby Hillm waiting for traffic to pass, CHP Dublin spokesman Derek Reed said.
The officer became trapped inside his vehicle, which caught fire after the crash. Two CHP officers from Dublin were nearby, one of whom used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames, according to Reed.
The other called the fire department. Firefighters had to cut off the SUV's door to rescue the man from the wreckage, Reed said.
The officer was taken to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley with minor injuries, Reed said.
A San Jose police supervisor was sent to the hospital to assist and support his colleague, who was released just after 4 a.m., sources told NBC Bay Area.
