REDDING: Officer and police explorer in patrol SUV struck by suspected DUI driver

REDDING — A Redding police officer sustained minor injuries and a juvenile Police Explorer Scout escaped injury when a patrol SUV they were in was struck by a suspected drunk driver, Friday evening, Oct. 20.

The minor-injury, DUI-related, traffic accident happened while the officer and explorer were assisting other officers with a separate and unrelated DUI/drug investigation, according to a police official.

The two incidents both happened in the 2300 block of Hilltop Drive near Industrial Street in Redding.

The first suspected DUI driver was later identified as William James Ashmun, 25, of Redding. Officials identified the second alleged suspect who struck the officer’s vehicle as Terrence William Ellison, 62, of Lewiston.

Both suspected DUI drivers were later arrested, Redding Police Officer Jacob Provencio explained in a written press release after the incident and arrests.

The first incident happened at 9:38 p.m., when a Redding police officer was nearly struck by the driver of a Dodge Spirit sedan, who allegedly pulled out in front of her to turn southbound onto Hilltop Drive from Industrial Street.

The officer narrowly avoided a collision and conducted a traffic enforcement stop on the Dodge, said Provencio. Officers later identified the driver as Ashmun.

After stopping the vehicle the officer, who is a drug recognition expert, “immediately noticed Ashmun appeared to be under the influence of drugs,” Provencio explained. The officer then requested assistance from a DUI specialist from the department’s Traffic Division.

Two additional officers and the explorer responded to the scene, at which time the DUI specialist assumed the investigation.

During their investigation, the three officers had positioned their patrol vehicles behind the stopped sedan. All three official vehicles had their rear-facing emergency lights activated.

“Ashmun was evaluated and arrested for driving under the influence of drugs,” said Provencio. “He was found to have methamphetamine in his possession and was also driving without a license.”

As the three officers and police explorer were concluding the first DUI/drug investigation, Redding Police Officer Johnson had just entered her patrol SUV when a Dodge Dakota pickup truck that was traveling southbound on Hilltop Drive, “drifted to the right, missed the first patrol vehicle and struck the rear, driver’s side of Officer Johnson’s patrol SUV,” said Provencio.

After sideswiping Johnson’s SUV, the Dakota veered back onto the roadway, missed the third patrol car, and stopped a short distance away.

When officers contacted the driver of the pickup, who was later identified as Lewiston, they determined he was under the influence of alcohol.

“Ellison has a prior conviction for driving under the influence and was found to have a blood alcohol level over twice the presumptive limit,” Provencio explained.

Johnson, who had just entered her patrol SUV and had not yet had a chance to put her seat belt on, sustained minor injuries in the collision. Paramedics evaluated and treated her at the scene of the accident.

The juvenile explorer was not injured in the crash.

Officers later arrested Lewiston for driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in injury, a felony.

The patrol vehicle was not driveable after the collision and was later towed from the scene of the crash.

California Highway Patrol officers responded and handled the traffic collision investigation.

After the two incidents both men were booked into the Shasta County Jail in Redding.

Ashmun was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, possession of a controlled substance, driving without a license and violation of two separate felony probations; including one out of Sacramento for a prior charge of false impersonation and another probation from Shasta County for theft with prior theft convictions, vehicle theft, and possession of stolen property.

Ellison was booked into the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in injury.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.