Vista
A sheriff’s deputy was seriously injured early Wednesday when his patrol car collided with another vehicle while the officer was responding to a report of a prowler in Vista, authorities said.
Deputy Gary Bartlett, 44, was in serious but stable condition with leg and arm injuries after undergoing surgery at Palomar Hospital.
Albert Hazan, 54, the Vista resident who was driving the other vehicle involved in the crash, was treated for minor injuries at Tri-City Hospital, officials said.
The accident occurred about 4:30 a.m. at Melrose Drive and West Vista Way, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Citing preliminary results of its ongoing investigation, the Sheriff’s Department said Bartlett drove his patrol car into the intersection against a red light, using the car’s illuminated emergency lights but not its siren. The patrol car and the other automobile collided, causing the patrol car to spin before it rammed broadside into a telephone pole, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
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