Alleged Drunk Driver Slams Into Hermosa Police Cruiser

An alleged drunk driver slammed into the back of an Hermosa Beach Police Department vehicle early Friday morning, police announced late Friday.

Lawndale resident Jose Cruz Rodriquez, 21, was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and being an unlicensed driver after police said he crashed his vehicle into the back of a police cruiser stopped at a red light at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and 8th Street shortly before 1 a.m.

Officers Eric Cahalan and Guy Dove, the two occupants of the police car, suffered minor injuries to their necks, backs and heads, according to police. Both officers were examined at Little Company of Mary Hospital and later released.

Police said preliminary breath test results at the scene showed that Rodriquez's blood alcohol was 0.22 – more than double the legal limit of 0.08.

Rodriquez is currently being held on $100,000 bail. No other injuries were reported and no other vehicles were involved in the accident, police said.