Car Strikes CHP Officer During Freeway Traffic Stop

A CHP motorcycle officer was injured early Wednesday in a collision that involved two vehicles on the 405 near National Boulevard.

The officer was making a routine traffic stop around 8:45 a.m. on the side of the freeway when another motorist crossed into the shoulder, striking the officer and pushing him into a second vehicle, according to the CHP. The officer was identified as 52-year-old Phillip Ortiz.

"We have multiple witnesses that place an Infiniti sedan passing heavy traffic on that same right shoulder," said Sgt. Mark Garrett. "The sedan failed to stop and collided with the officer and his motorcylce, throwing the officer into the rear of that Honda SUV.

"Based on the information we have, we are pretty confident that Infiniti driver was on the right shoulder."

Three other motorists were transported to a hospital. Garrett said he did not have details regarding their injuries, but they included the drivers of the SUV and the Infiniti.

Emergency crews worked to free the officer who was pinned in the wreckage. He was transported to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in critical condition. Paramedics waved off a helicopter to race three miles up the vacant freeway to the Westwood hospital.

"He's been (with the CHP) for a long time, I believe about 25 years," Garrett said of the motorcycle officer.

The crash investigation closed the freeway and snarled Westside traffic.

Initially, the freeway was closed in both directions causing heavy backups, but some southbound lanes were reopened once authorities decided to take the officer to a hospital. The carpool and No. 1 lanes reopened, but the entire northbound side was not expected to reopen until 4 p.m., according to the CHP.

By 10 a.m., the backup on the northbound side extended all the way back to the South Bay area. Southbound lanes were clogged back to Roscoe. Surface streets were jammed as motorists struggled to find alternate routes.

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