Police Officer Injured in Oakland Motorcycle Accident

A police officer who was injured in a motorcycle accident in Oakland has been identified as Edwin Bermudez. The Oakland Tribune reports that the accident occurred at the intersection of 98th Avenue and Empire Road when the driver of a car ran a red light and struck the on-duty officer who was on his motorcycle. The officer was ejected from his motorcycle by the impact, and taken to an area medical center with serious injuries. His injuries were thankfully not life-threatening. Police are investigating the incident.

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I sympathize with this police officer for the injuries he has suffered. I pray that he has not sustained catastrophic injuries and hope he will be able to return to work soon.

Oakland Car Accidents

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 34 deaths and 2,211 injuries involving Oakland car accidents. In Alameda County, 82 people died and 6,935 were injured as a result of car accidents during the same year.

Laws and Liability Issues

Under California Law, motorists are required to stop for a red light. Failure to do so could lead to citations or even criminal charges if the accident causes injuries or fatalities. According to California Vehicle Code section 21453 (a): “A driver facing a circular red signal shall stop at the limit line before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and shall remain stopped until an indication to proceed is shown.”

It is not clear what caused the driver to run the red light. Was he impaired, distracted, speeding, driving recklessly or negligent in any other way? If the driver is determined to have been at fault for the collision, he could be held liable for the officer’s injuries. In such cases, injured victims would be well-advised to contact a reputed Oakland personal injury lawyer, who has a successful track record holding negligent drivers financially responsible.

Are you in favor of red light cameras as a way to deter red light runners?

The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

P. Craig says:

August 20, 2010 at 3:38 pm

I have a good picture of him on-duty, from 5/1/2008, as I am a photojournalist and often take pix of OPD officers, etc. I am also a former cop. I feel bad for the officer, I do, and I wish him the very best, but now, as a private citizen again, I am NOT in favor of red light cameras. They need to be outlawed, banned, whatever, but that cash cow that each city operates seems to be an unbelievable way to tax people, legally?, who knows, so many challenges are going on in CA and surrounding states. Nope, I am opposed to them, and cops need to go back to doing good old fashioned policing, writing tickets, and EXPLAINING to the defendant driver, or whoever else may be ticketed or arrested, the basics of the stop…WHY?! Cops never take the time, or think they are so above explaining anything these days. It’s simple guys, when you exit your patrol vehicle, just remember, after doing your officer safety checks, who is paying your salaries… uh huh, that citizen you pulled over most likely paid his/her state vehicle registration, which, btw, a HUGE amount of that DMV fee goes to pay cop salaries, mostly the CHP, but then trickles down to the municipalities throughout the State. So, cops, remember to be human, and life is good! I spent all 10 of my years writing less than 10 tickets per year, since I was a patrol officer, then a detective, that wasn’t my main priority, 911 calls for service always are, then self-initiated felony stops… but when I did take my time to pull someone over for a blatant violation that occurred right in front of me, I always gave the driver two options: “Officer Craig’s driving instructions, or a ticket?” Driving Instructions were chosen 9 out of 10 times…that way they learned from their mistake(s), and had a better chance of not repeating that behavior. I think if cops got back to writing tickets on sight, and took the time to talk to the drivers, you would see a marked decrease in vehicle violations, red light runners, etc., and accidents would go down. But using red light cameras, horse pucky!