Officer Recovering From Back Injuries

A Fountain Valley police officer was recovering Monday from back injuries he suffered when a suspected drunk driver slammed into his patrol car at a traffic light, police said.

Officer David Kanbara was hospitalized overnight after his patrol car was struck at 7:49 p.m. Friday by a Ford pick-up at Slater and Magnolia avenues, Sgt. Dan Bean said.

David Joyles of Huntington Beach was arrested shortly after the crash on suspicion of felony drunk driving.

Joyles, 38, has been convicted of driving under the influence twice before, in 1993 and 1994, and was on probation at the time of the crash, officials said. He was also convicted of felony drug possession in 1993.

Friday night, Joyles was allegedly behind the wheel of the truck that plowed into the rear of Kanbara’s police cruiser.

Two other cars were hit in the ensuing chain reaction, injuring three people who were treated at local hospitals and released, Bean said.

Kanbara was at home but still under medication Monday. Kanbara had suffered a previous back injury about six years ago during a traffic stop, Bean said.

Kanbara was on the shoulder of the road when he was struck by the side mirror of a passing car, Bean said.

“He missed weeks of work then going through therapy, so it’s pretty sad for this to be happening to him again,” Bean said.