By Khalida Sarwari
A woman suspected of driving while on drugs struck a California Highway Patrol officer this morning when he was clearing cones off an Interstate Highway 680 off-ramp in San Jose from an earlier crash.
The 33-year-old woman was driving a black Mazda Tribute when she hit Officer D. Santa Maria at about 7:15 a.m. while he was reopening the Alum Rock Avenue off-ramp, according to the CHP. The ramp had been closed because a car spun out into sand barrels in the same spot about an hour earlier, a CHP officer said.
Santa Maria suffered major injuries and was transported to Regional Medical Center of San Jose.
Santa Clara resident Laura Delgado was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, possession of drug paraphernalia, giving false information to an officer and possession of a narcotic.
Delgado was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail.
The incidents resulted in closures of various northbound lanes and the Alum Rock Avenue off-ramp on the highway for about to six hours, according to the CHP.