Deputy and jail inmate among three seriously injured in head-on crash in Long Beach

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy and a jail inmate were injured early Tuesday when the cruiser they were traveling in collided head-on with another vehicle that drifted across the center line in Long Beach, police said.

The deputy was transporting the inmate to the Lakewood sheriff’s station in his patrol car about 12:10 a.m., according to Marlene Arrona, spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department.

The deputy was driving south in the 6100 block of North Paramount Boulevard when a northbound four-door sedan crossed the center median and drove directly into the cruiser, she said. Both vehicles were mangled in the wreck.

The deputy was trapped in his car and had to be pried free.

He suffered serious injuries and was taken to an area hospital, Arrona said.

The inmate and the driver of the other vehicle also suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized.

None of the injured were identified.

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“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Lakewood Deputy who was seriously injured in a traffic collision and to his family during this difficult time,” Sheriff Jim McDonnell said in a statement. “We hope he can rest and have a speedy recovery. We appreciate the tremendous support from the community and in the department as we come together to support one of our own.”

Long Beach detectives were investigating the crash and urged anyone with details to call the police department’s Collision Investigation Detail at (562) 570-7355.

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UPDATES:

10:50 a.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell.

This article was originally published at 10:30 a.m.