Sheriff's K9 Deputy, Car Collide in Calimesa

An on-duty sheriff's K-9 handler in his patrol car collided Saturday with another vehicle near Interstate 10 in Calimesa and suffered minor injuries, a police spokesman said.

Dispatchers received a call at 12:54 p.m. and sent deputies to the Cherry Valley Boulevard off-ramp where the deputy's vehicle and a Honda four- door sedan collided, Riverside County sheriff's Deputy Armando Munoz said.

The K-9 officer was heading east in his cruiser on Cherry Valley Boulevard and the second vehicle was traveling in the opposite direction. It was not clear who was at fault, but the California Highway Patrol reported that the deputy's patrol car was hit on the side, temporarily trapping him inside.

The driver of the Honda suffered minor injuries and was taken as a precaution to Loma Linda University Medical Center. The deputy, whose name was not disclosed, did not seek medical attention, Munoz said.

The collision was under investigation, he said.  It wasn't immediately clear if the canine was in the car or not.

—City News Service.