Officer recovering following motorcycle accident

Porterville Police Sergeant Rick Carrillo is swiftly recovering from a motorcycle accident that occurred Tuesday morning.

On Wednesday, Officer Dominic Barteau said Carrillo was doing better and was set to be released that same night or today from Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.

“He had a confirmed neck injury and a confirmed broken wrist, but he’s up and doing better,” Barteau said. “He’ll be doing some pretty intense physical therapy for a while.”

Carrillo was hospitalized Tuesday after his motorcycle collided with a car in the area of Morton Avenue and Conley Street. The PPD reports that the car was traveling east on Morton Avenue in the left lane as Carrillo was traveling on his police motorcycle in the right lane. Reports indicate that the driver of the car did not see Carrillo when he changed lanes and collided with the motorcycle.

The force of the crash knocked the motorcycle down and Carrillo and his motorcycle slid about 50 feet before crashing with a concrete curb and light pole on the southeast corner of Morton Avenue and Conley Street, the PPD reports.

A citizen who saw the collision stopped to render aid and used his police radio to call in “officer down.”