The California Highway Patrol responded to a report of a collision involving a Merced County Sheriff Deputy vehicle.

It happened on March 19th, 2020 at approximately 11:23 p.m., in the area of El Capitan Way and Santa Fe Drive.

Merced CHP units responded to the scene and determined that a Merced County Deputy had responded to a call and upon arrival parked the patrol vehicle, with code lights activated.

The deputy had his vehicle facing eastbound in the westbound lane of El Capitan Way with the rear of the patrol vehicle still in the eastbound lane, west of Santa Fe Drive according to the California Highway Patrol.

During the investigation, CHP determined that a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado driven by 26-year-old Manuel Leyva, out of San Jose, CA, was traveling eastbound on El Capitan Way, west of Santa Fe Drive, approaching the parked patrol vehicle.

Leyva failed to slow down or attempt to go around the parked patrol vehicle, and as a result, the left front of the Chevrolet struck the right rear of the parked patrol vehicle.

During the call, deputies had placed an involved party in the right rear seat of the patrol vehicle and seat belted and no deputies were in the patrol vehicle at the time of the collision.

The suspect was uninjured as a result of the collision and Leyva suffered from complaint of pain.

During the course of the investigation, Leyva was determined to be operating the Chevrolet while under the influence of alcohol. Leyva was arrested and booked at Merced County Jail.