A GoFundMe account has so far raised nearly $30,000 for a Los Angeles police officer whose right leg was severed when a car driven by an alleged DUI driver crashed into the officer’s patrol SUV on a freeway shoulder during a traffic stop.
The crash occurred at 11:47 p.m. Dec. 11 on the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway near Santa Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles. LAPD Officer Fadi Chelico had just pulled over the driver of a Honda Accord for speeding and was outside his 2014 Ford Explorer SUV, which was parked behind the sedan, when a 2003 Infiniti Q35 crashed into the officer’s own SUV which then hit the officer, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A GoFundMe page has been established to aid Chelico, whose right leg was severed.
“Officer Chelico is not only a great officer, but has been a great friend,” a statement on the GoFundMe page says. “In efforts to assist Officer Chelico and his family during these hard times, especially during the holiday season, we ask for a small contribution. Our goal is to make this long recovery process as smooth as possible. We stand with our brother, his wife, and his daughter in whatever they might need …”
As of late Monday morning, the GoFundMe fund had raised $29,611 of its stated $50,000 goal.
CHP officers who were in the area got to the crash scene first.
“They said it could have been about … a minute after it happened,” CHP Officer Vance Perreira said last week. “They passed by, were first on scene, rendered aid, possibly saved his life.”
CHP officers arrested the uninjured driver of the Infiniti, 34-year- old Douglas Donovan of Woodland Hills, and booked him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
The driver of the Honda also escaped injury.
–City News Service