Pedestrian killed after being struck by out of control Redwood City police car
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - A Redwood City police officer slammed into a pedestrian, killing the man while responding to a possible home invasion on Wednesday.
A call came in at 9:47 a.m. reporting the home invasion in the 300 block of Poplar Avenue involving four masked male suspects, police said.
A K-9 officer with 12 years on the force, was headed to the scene and leaving the area of James Avenue and El Camino Real when she lost control of her car on the wet roadway.
The patrol car struck a man standing on the center median and collided with two other vehicles, before coming to a rest on the sidewalk.
The victim, who has been identified to his family members, was transported to a local hospital. He died from his injuries a few days later.
Surveillance video from a nearby auto body shop shows a man walking to the center median. You can see the K-9 officer lose control on the slick road before spinning into the man.
"I saw it's a cop hitting the guy. The guy flying up in the sky," said Jessica Rangel Rodriguez a witness.
The Crown Victoria patrol vehicle also hit a BMW X3 that ended up on the sidewalk.
"I wasn't sure to either help the guy or help the girl that was there walking. She was worried about her mom in the car, thinking she was going to get hit and the other girl was having a panic attack," Rodriguez said.
The officer called for help on her radio as the witness looked on in shock.
Police said the man who was struck lives nearby.
The officer involved was also treated and released at the hospital as a precaution, and the police dog did not appear to be injured, but was examined by a veterinarian, police said. The drivers of the other vehicles, an adult male and an adult female, who were hit by the patrol car were assessed at the scene and then released.
Redwood City police brought in California Highway Patrol to investigate to avoid any conflict of interest.
The names of the officer and others involved have not been released.
Police did not provide an update on the whereabouts or what happened with the four-masked suspects or the robbery the officer was responding to.