Ronan officer back to work following collision
Ronan Officer Joel Diaz was struck twice by a GMC Sierra truck last week by an impaired driver on Round Butte Road. (Photo provided courtesy of the Ronan Police Department)
An officer with the Ronan Police Department is back at work after his work vehicle was crashed into twice by an impaired driver last week.
According to Police Chief Ken Weaver, Officer Joel Diaz was taken to St. Luke Hospital in Ronan where he was later discharged following a pursuit on Monday, May 21.
Weaver said Diaz was back to work by Wednesday.
Names and charges of the female driver and three other passengers have not been released pending further investigation by the Montana State Highway Patrol, Weaver said Wednesday, May 23.
Last Monday, Diaz observed a white GMC Sierra truck with an extended cab at the intersection of Third Avenue and Round Butte Road, travelling south run a stop sign.
The truck struck Diaz on the front driver side of the vehicle, pushing the front pushbar across the car toward the passenger side.
Weaver said that if Diaz would not have slammed on his brakes when he did, “the impact would have been to the driver’s side door.”
Diaz began to pursue the truck and observed the driver ran another stop sign at Third Avenue And Main Street, and again at Sixth Avenue and Main Street.
The truck then turnedwest on Round Butte Road, failing to stop at that stop sign.
Weaver said that at times during the pursuit on Main Street, speeds of 50-60 mph were reached, and 70-100 mph on Round Butte Road, passing cars.
The pursuit continued west on Round Butte Road as far as where the pavement ends and the roadway turns to gravel.
At that point, Weaver said the driver turned the truck around, then driving toward Diaz.
Eventually, the truck struck Diaz’s vehicle again, this time hitting the driver’s side on the quarter panel.
Diaz then arrested the driver on scene, Weaver said.
Weaver said that assisting were Ronan Ambulance, Ronan Fire Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Flathead Tribal Police and Montana Highway Patrol.
The department’s new K9, Sandor, and his handler Officer Brandon Smith were called to assist in the event that the truck’s occupants would attempt to flee on foot. Sandor is trained in tracking persons.
Calls to the Montana Highway Patrol were not immediately returned for further information.