An officer with the California Highway Patrol's Merced Area Office was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence early Thursday, after a two-car collision on northbound Highway 99 near Livingston.
Fresno resident Joseph Mendoza, 26, was taken into custody after the crash, reported around 1:15 a.m. south of Cressey Way, according to Shane Ferriera, CHP spokesman.
Investigators say Mendoza rear-ended another car in the fast lane of the highway.
He was off-duty at the time of the crash and was driving a 2010 Dodge Challenger. Mendoza wasn't hurt in the crash, and the driver of the other car received minor injuries.
Before the crash, 29-year-old James Burns of Manteca was traveling in the fast lane of northbound Highway 99, driving a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta at an unknown rate of speed. Meanwhile, Mendoza was traveling behind Burns in the same lane, at an unknown rate of speed.
Mendoza crashed into the back of Burns' car, and both cars pulled over to the right shoulder. CHP officers arrived at the scene, and Mendoza was given a field sobriety test. Ferriera said Mendoza also submitted to a breath test, and officers determined he was driving with a blood alcohol level above the state's .08% legal limit.
Burns, who had minor injuries, declined an ambulance. As a precaution, he was taken to Mercy Medical Center Merced by the CHP. Both vehicles had moderate damage.
Mendoza was booked at the Merced County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.8 or greater. He was released Thursday on his own recognizance.
Mendoza remains employed with the CHP and hasn't been placed on administrative leave, Ferriera said.
Ferriera said the case remains under investigation, and the CHP has launched its own internal investigation into the incident.
