Photo: Jorge Salas
Close to 9:30PM on 02/22/2020, 32-year old Jorge Salas was driving his 2000 silver Honda westbound on Olive Avenue.
When he reached the intersection, he made an unsafe left turn onto Highway 65 colliding with the vehicle traveling eastbound on Olive Avenue.
The crash sent that vehicle into a light standard before coming to a full stop. The car Salas hit was a marked Porterville Police patrol car. The officer suffered minor injuries for which he refused medical treatment at the scene, while Salas fled eastbound on Highway 65.
Police tracked Salas using evidence he left at the crash site. They discovered his driver’s license had been suspended for driving under the influence and was required to equip his vehicle with an Ignition Interlock Device. He was also wanted on a misdemeanor arrest warrant for a prior assault.
The Honda was found abandoned in a Lowe’s parking lot and seized as evidence. Salas was found in a home on the 800 block of South Western Avenue just before midnight. He was arrested without incident.
As of this writing, Salas remains in Tulare County’s South County Detention Facility with bail set at $70,000. He faces charges for hit-and-run with injury and violation of probation.
Photo from the Porterville Police Department
