Good Samaritan helps CHP officer injured in crash
LOS ANGELES - A hotel owner on a smoke break became a good Samaritan after helping a California Highway Patrol officer who was injured during a crash in West Covina.
Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched just before 2 p.m. Tuesday to the eastbound 10 Freeway at Barranca Street. The CHP officer was stopped on the right shoulder, seated in his patrol vehicle, conducting a traffic stop of a Toyota Corolla at the time of the crash, according to the CHP.
A Toyota Sequoia and a Toyota Tacoma were involved in an earlier crash. As a result of that crash, the driver of the Toyota Sequoia lost control of the SUV and it rear ended the CHP vehicle. The impact of that crash pushed the CHP vehicle forward, rear ending the stopped Toyota Corolla.
Shiraz Deayal, owner of Days Inn, told FOX 11 that a stranger helped him hop the wall so he could get to the unconscious CHP officer.
"I'm trying to hop it, couldn't hop it and a guy helped me out, do not know who he is, but I was the first one on the scene," Deayal said.
"I pry open his door and I'm trying to see if he's alert or not. I grab his radio and I say ‘officer down, officer down’ and the radio goes silent and they do an all alert and they ask me where I'm at and who I am."
Deayal said he stayed on scene until the officer gained consciousness.
"He was trying to do something I thought he'd never do. He was worried about the people around him and I tell him ‘don’t worry I got you.' I tried to help him out as best I can."
"If it was a regular accident I wouldn't have hopped over the fence but as it was a law enforcement officer I did hop over. The officer's safety is my most concern," Deayal added.
Paramedics rushed the CHP officer, with moderate injuries, to Pomona Valley Medical Center. The 55-year-old man driving the Toyota Sequoia was taken to Emante Health Inter-Community Hospital in Covina with minor injuries.
The drivers of the Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Corolla suffered minor injuries and were not taken to a hospital. No arrests were made in connection with the crash.
City News Service contributed to this report