A Fullerton Police Department officer had a close call early Wednesday morning. FPD reports that an officer was managing traffic at the intersection of West Orangethorpe Avenue and Courtney Avenue following a deadly traffic accident earlier in the evening around 12:04 a.m. on June 12, 2024.
The FPD vehicle had its emergency lights on and several flares were placed in the roadway. FPD says a blue Tesla crashed into the police vehicle which was blocking traffic. The officer spotted the oncoming vehicle and quickly moved to the side of the road along with an off-duty police dispatcher who was riding with him.
The driver of the Tesla admitted to using the vehicle’s self-drive mode while using his cell phone. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, according to FPD. The investigation is active and ongoing. A video of the incident can be found here.
Jay Skelton is an independent crime journalist with a passion for covering the uncovered and the under covered.