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Berkeley motorcycle officer injured by hit-and-run driver

Update:

Berkeley Officer Remains In Intensive Care

BERKELEY, Calif., 11:02 p.m. PDT August 21, 2003 - Tips are pouring into the Berkeley Police Department as it searches for a hit-and-run driver who struck a police officer Wednesday afternoon.

Officer Ben Cardoza is still in intensive care, but he is listed in good condition and he was able to provide investigators with a description of the driver.

"The officer got a very good look at the driver. It was, in fact, a black male adult, he believes in the early 20s," said officer Wayne Zeise of the California Highway Patrol

The CHP is also looking through surveillance tape from businesses located near the accident scene in case the driver may stopped somewhere in the neighborhood before or after the accident, NBC11's Jodi Hernandez reported.

"If there are businesses within a 1 to 3 mile radius that (use) surveillance equipment, we would like to see that," Zeise said.

The 26-year-old officer was responding to a traffic accident call west on Ashby Avenue on his motorcycle shortly after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon when a driver in an off-white, 1987-1990 Chevy Caprice Classic sedan allegedly ran a stop sign at Wheeler Street and crashed into the officer, according to Berkeley police Sgt. Andy Greenwood.

Ziese said that after initial impact with the suspect's vehicle, Cardoza may have crashed into a parked van.

The driver of the Caprice fled the scene after the accident. Greenwood said the Caprice will likely have front-end damage and is missing its hood ornament, which was found at the scene of the crash.

Hernandez reported that the CHP believes it will catch the driver responsible for the accident.

Officers spent Thursday afternoon passing out fliers to motorists hoping someone will recognize the car that hit the Berkeley motorcycle officer.

"It is just something that shouldn't have happened and we really want to locate the person involved and find out what happened and why. And basically just bring the person to justice," said CHP officer Dave Findley.

Officers say the accident has hit them hard and they want to do all they can to get the suspect off the street.

"It could be any of us, any of us out here. One of us goes down like that, it hits you in the heart and you don't want to see it happen and it is just unfortunate, really unfortunate," Findley said.

Greenwood said he saw Cardoza at Highland Hospital at 6 a.m. Thursday. He said Cardoza suffered a compound fracture to his lower leg and cuts to his head and his forearm. He said the officer was wearing his helmet, which probably spared him more serious injury.

It will take time, but Cardoza is expected to make a full recovery. "The ultimate prognosis is good," Greenwood said. "He is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances."

Greenwood described Cardoza as being conscious and in good spirits Thursday morning. Greenwood said police have no leads as to the identity of the driver.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the CHP at 1-888-301-4CHP or Berkeley police at (510) 981-5900.
 
"compound fracture to his lower leg" - oh, ouch. :wow Damn. I hope they get the driver.

And RSRider - I sure as hell hope that you helped the downed RIDER. It doesn't matter if he was a LEO and you have something against them - NOBODY on a bike deserves to be run down. :mad Don't give us Triumph-jockeys a bad rap by being an insensitive prick. :x If you DID help him, tell us all a story...
 
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I am so pleased that they are close to catching the fucker. But nothing has made my blood boil like my hopes for officer cardoza, and the fact that this rsrider clown is the biggest waste of life i have encountered in all my years. Best wishes to OUR FELLOW RIDER (leo dont mean shit if it is two wheels). And thanks to budman for keeping an eye on this thread.
 
Well now there's a spot of news. Good job. and now they'll most certainly have prints of the driver, who may already have prints on file... anyone who would run down a cop and then book is either running REALLY scared, or is incredibly stupid.

BTW, who's gonna be dropping off the flowers/beer/donations/etc? Whoever it is, TAKE PICS! We want to see the good Officer Cardoza's face when he sees all the swag. And sign the cast(s) for us too!
 
whoops!

kpix/AP messed up.

http://beta.kpix.com/news/bcn/2003/08/22/n/HeadlineNews/REWARD-OFFERED.html

UPDATE: BERKELEY OFFERS $10,000 REWARD FOR HIT-AND-RUN SUSPECT INFO.
BERKELEY (BCN)

The Berkeley Police Department announced today that a $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a hit-and-run driver who **killed** a Berkeley police officer.

"But I'm not dead yet!" - Monty Python
 
yah right sure.. closest I've ever owned to a caprice classic was a 1983 lincoln continental.. and it was hunter green, not white.

Besides, i sold it two years ago so's I could buy gear for the bike.
 
Willis said:
Great.....more attention from the cops.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with some positive attention...not this thread..but the other one is going. :teeth


:smoking
 
Good luck

in your recovery officer. MJRydsFast and Retired Michigan State Police Lt. John Shewell.

589786-meanddadgg.jpg
 
Hit and Run Suspect Surrenders

Taken from the Tri-Valley Herald
http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Stories/0,1413,86~10669~1592048,00.html

Hit-and-run suspect surrenders
Oakland man accused of seriously injuring Berkeley motorcycle officer
By Angela Hill, STAFF WRITER


OAKLAND -- The man police believe seriously injured a Berkeley motorcycle officer in a hit-and-run crash last week turned himself in to police Monday, the same day the officer was released from the hospital.

Lorenzo Lockett, 27, of Oakland surrendered to Oakland Police Officer Carletta Garrett about 4 p.m. Monday at the Oakland home of Lockett's attorney, authorities said.

Attorney Larry Ward said Lockett panicked after he struck Berkeley motorcycle Officer Ben Cardoza on Ashby Avenue at Wheeler Street last Wednesday. He was driving a relative's 1977 Chevrolet Caprice and fled the scene without stopping.

"My client did not intentionally hit a police officer," Ward said. "He is very remorseful and his family is very remorseful for what happened.

"When he was arrested, he and his whole family prayed for him and for the injured officer."

California Highway Patrol and Berkeley officers, who had been investigating the case, were on their way to Oakland City Jail late Monday to interview Lockett.


Lockett recently got off probation from a drug conviction, according to his attorney. He will likely be charged with felony hit-and-run in addition to other charges related to concealing the Caprice in a garage at a house in Hercules, where police found it Friday based on an anonymous tip.

A 35-year-old Oakland man was arrested at the Hercules house as an accessory for helping hide the vehicle.

About the same time Lockett turned himself in, Cardoza, 27, was allowed to go home from the hospital. Always a cop, Cardoza -- his right leg in a cast, a7-inch scar on his knee and a bandage around the deep gash on his right arm -- took the opportunity from his hospital bed to stress the importance of wearing a helmet.

"It absolutely saved my life," said the recovering but weak, bandaged and scuffed Cardoza from Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley. "There were some serious gouges and scrapes on my helmet. Those would have been in my head."

Cardoza, who has been on the Berkeley police force for about four years, was on routine patrol Wednesday at College and Ashby avenues when he got a call to go to an accident a few blocks away. He turned on his lights and sirens and proceeded along Ashby.

He only remembers seeing a white car out of the corner of his eye. It was too late to react. Police say Lockett may have stopped or roll-stopped at the stop sign, then sped into traffic. The car's left front bumper struck Cardoza, knocking him off his police motorcycle and sending him sliding several yards across the pavement.

"I probably blacked out for a couple seconds right after the collision," he said. "I woke up after I stopped sliding and I took a quick inventory of what was working and what wasn't."

He was in a lot of pain. Other motorists stopped and tried to use his police radio to call for help. They were unable to get through, so Cardoza -- lying bloody on the ground -- grabbed the radio and called in the crash himself.

He had major injuries.

"The motor cops tend to not like to have their boots cut off in crashes," he said. "Mine were definitely cut off."

His lower right leg was broken, and required a titanium rod to stabilize it. His right forearm had a deep gash to the bone, one that took doctors more than an hour to stitch up. His parents spent the night at the hospital Wednesday as Cardoza underwent hours of surgery. His fellow motorcycle officers stayed too.

"All the motor guys were great," said Cardoza's father who visited him at Alta Bates Monday. "They baby sat us for eight hours while he was in surgery."

Cardoza says he loves his job, and will be back on his motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson Road King, as soon as he's well. Doctors say he may be able to return to work in six to eight months. He recently garnered Berkeley a $225,000 state grant for DUI education and enforcement, and wants to get back to see that go into effect.

"I'm just frustrated being in a hospital bed, not being able to do what I like to do," Cardoza said. "I really want to thank everybody at the Berkeley Police Department, and everybody who came out and showed support of me."
 
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