Off-duty officer hurt in single-vehicle crash
An off-duty Long Beach police officer was seriously injured early Wednesday when he fell asleep at the wheel of his utility van and struck a tree in Cerritos, authorities said.
The accident occurred about 12:30 a.m. in the 13100 block of 183rd Street, said Capt. Mike Brown of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The 25-year-old officer, whose name was not released, “sustained significant injuries, traumatic fractures, blunt-force injuries to the chest and face.”
He was taken to Long Beach Memorial Hospital for treatment, Brown said.
The officer’s Ford Econoline van crashed into a metal fence, hit a tree and then flipped over, Brown said.
Bystanders pulled the officer from the vehicle, Brown said.
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