CHP Officer Thrown 50 Feet in Collision but Survives

A California Highway Patrol officer was thrown about 50 feet when the van he had pulled over was struck by an out-of-control vehicle Thursday, but he survived with only cuts and bruises, authorities said.

The accident occurred at about 1:30 p.m., when Officer Ken Ericsson, 45, of Moorpark, pulled over a van on the eastbound Ventura Freeway near Wilbur Avenue, said Richard Perez, a CHP spokesman.

As onlookers slowed to gawk, Perez said, a Honda Accord traveling faster than the slower traffic attempted to enter the No. 3 lane.

The car--driven by an unidentified woman--swerved into the fourth lane, clipping the front of one car, then crossed several lanes and struck the left rear of the van sitting on the shoulder of the freeway, Perez said.

Ericsson, a 19-year veteran, was standing on the passenger side when the Honda hit the van, according to Ernie Garcia, also of the CHP. The impact knocked the officer into the shrubbery beside the embankment, Garcia said, while the van lurched down the slope about 12 feet before hitting a tree.

Ericsson suffered cuts and bruises to his legs, arms and face, said Bob Collis, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. He was taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in good condition. “It sounds like he’s in good shape,” Collis said, adding that no one else was hurt.

The driver of the Honda was interviewed by CHP officers but was not arrested. The incident was being investigated late Thursday to determine if anyone will be cited, Garcia said.