LIVE OAK, Calif. – A California Highway Patrol officer and Yreka native is in critical condition following a crash involving a suspected impaired driver.
CHP Yuba-Sutter said at about 1:11 a.m. on October 19, Officer David Gordon responded to a malfunctioning railroad crossing in Live Oak, north of Yuba City.
While he was directing traffic, an SUV traveling at a high rate of speed failed to stop at the crossing. It hit Officer Gordon, causing major injuries.
The driver of the SUV was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, CHP said.
A few days after the incident, CHP Yuba-Sutter updated the public on Officer Gordon’s condition, which is considered critical but stable.
Officers said Gordon has undergone multiple surgeries for broken bones and faces more surgeries for pelvic fractures, a broken shoulder blade and a broken jaw. He also had his spleen removed to address internal bleeding. “This list is by no means all-inclusive of the extent of his injuries,” CHP said.
Gordon graduated from Yreka High School in 1994. He joined CHP in 2006 and transferred from Santa Rosa to the Yuba-Sutter area two years later.
CHP said Gordon married his high school sweetheart and they have two sons. He’s admired by his peers for his dedication and work ethic, winning multiple awards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving for his work on impaired driving detections and arrests. He was also named Yuba-Sutter’s Peas Officer of the Year in 2018.
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