Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
On Sunday, November 23, 2014, at about 5:50 p.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department and EMS personnel responded to the intersection of Wooley Road and ‘G’ Street in reference to an injury hit and run traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.  Immediately following the collision, a witness who observed the collision called 911 to report that the vehicle involved had fled the scene. 
 
When officers arrived at the collision scene, they found an unconscious male lying in the roadway.  The unidentified pedestrian was transported from the scene to the Ventura County Medical Center where he is currently listed in critical condition.  He sustained significant head trauma, two broken legs and extensive internal injuries as a result of the collision.       
 
According to witnesses at the scene, two additional vehicles were observed colliding with the pedestrian just prior to the arrival of emergency responders.  These two vehicles also fled the scene without rendering aid.  At approximately 7:00 p.m., the driver of an Acura Legend, Johnny Romero, arrived at the Oxnard Police Department to surrender himself and identify his involvement in the collision.  During the investigation, officers located the Acura parked in the 700 block of South ‘B’ Street in the City of Oxnard.  It had sustained damage consistent with the collision.  Preliminary investigation indicates that the pedestrian was crossing Wooley Road outside of a marked crosswalk when he was struck by the Acura and the other vehicles.
 
Driver Romero was arrested and charged with felonious hit and run causing great bodily injury.  He was booked into Ventura County Jail.     
 
It is unknown if alcohol or drugs were a factor in this collision.  The investigation is continuing.           
 
If anyone has information about this collision, please contact Senior Officer Jamie Brown at 805-385-7749 or via email at jamie.brown@oxnardpd.org.  If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the violent crimes hotline at (805) 982-7070 or Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
On Friday, November 14, 2014, between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department conducted two DUI/Driver’s license checkpoints in the City of Oxnard. The first checkpoint was conducted in the southbound lanes of Saviers Road at Bard Road.  The second checkpoint was conducted in the southbound lanes of Victoria Avenue just south of Wooley Road. These locations were chosen to provide increased DUI deterrence and in response to recent alcohol related arrests and/or DUI collisions. 
 
The checkpoints resulted in the following statistics:
 
·         559 Total vehicles
·         534 Drivers screened
·         5     DUI investigation
·         3     DUI alcohol arrests
·         1     DUI drugs arrest
·         0     Criminal arrests
·         7     Citations issued to unlicensed drivers
·         1     Citation issued to a driver with a suspended/revoked license
·         18   Total citations issued
·         3     Vehicles towed

All four of the DUI arrests occurred at the checkpoint held on Victoria Avenue.  One of the arrested DUI drivers was an unlicensed 18 year-old male who was under the sole influence of marijuana. Another DUI driver was a 26 year-old female found to have a blood alcohol level that was over twice the legal limit of .08.  This was her second DUI arrest in seven years.  Her only male passenger in the car was discovered to be currently on DUI probation following two prior DUI arrests and had a suspended driver’s license. 
 
The Oxnard Police Department will continue to conduct DUI enforcement operations this year.  These operations are an effort to reduce the number of alcohol related crashes and to make our roadways and community safer.  We also remind people that if they see an impaired driver to dial 911.  These DUI enforcement operations are funded by grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
 
For any questions related to DUI and traffic enforcement, please contact Senior Officer Jamie Brown at (805) 385-7749 or via e-mail at jamie.brown@oxnardpd.org.

DATE / TIME PREPARED:  11/15/14, 0330 hours

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
The Oxnard Police Department has been awarded a $316,500 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program of special enforcement and public awareness efforts to prevent traffic related deaths and injuries.  The Oxnard Police Department will use the funding as part of the city’s ongoing commitment to keep our roadways safe and improve the quality of life through both enforcement and education.
 
“In keeping with our mission: To Protect the Community with Exceptional Service, and our 2014 effort to create a Safer and Stronger community, we are pleased to have a funding source to focus on traffic safety,” said Oxnard Police Chief Jeri Williams.  “Our efforts will focus on the increase in distracted driving, as well as drunk and drugged driving.  As members of the community, the Oxnard Police Department is committed to educating the public in our goal of ultimately having zero traffic-related deaths.”
 
After falling dramatically between 2006 and 2010, the number of persons killed and injured in California traffic collisions saw slight increases in 2011 and 2012.  Of particular concern are recent increases in pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities and the dangers of distracting technologies.  This grant funding will provide opportunities to combat these and other devastating problems such as drunk and drugged driving and speeding.
 
“California’s roadways are still among the safest in the nation,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft.  “But, to meet future mobility, safety and sustainability objectives, we must create safer roadways for all users.  The Oxnard Police Department will be using these and other resources to reach the vision we all share – Toward zero deaths, every 1 counts.”
 
Activities funded by the grant will include:
•           Educational presentations
•           DUI checkpoints
•           DUI saturation patrols
•           Motorcycle safety enforcement
•           Distracted driving enforcement
•           Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement
•           Warrant service operations targeting offenders with multiple DUI convictions
•           Compilation of DUI “Hot Sheets,” identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders
•           Specialized DUI and drugged driving training such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE)
•           Court “sting” operations to cite individuals driving from DUI court after ignoring their license suspension or revocation
•           Stakeout operations to observe the “worst-of-the-worst” repeat DUI offender probationers with suspended or revoked driver licenses
 
Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

DETAILS:
On Wednesday, November 19, 2014, at about 9:45 a.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department and EMS personnel responded to the intersection of Camino del Sol and Kohala Street in reference to an injury traffic collision involving three vehicles.    
 
Preliminary investigation indicates that the Chevrolet Cobalt was traveling northbound on Kohala Street through the intersection while the Nissan Altima was traveling southbound through the intersection.  The GMC pick-up truck was traveling westbound on Camino del Sol and according to witnesses, it failed to stop for a red light.  As the GMC crossed the intersection, it collided with the other two vehicles causing it to flip onto its passenger side and slide for several feet.  Donald Nagata, the driver of GMC, was not wearing a seatbelt and the collision caused him to be partially ejected out of the passenger window.  When EMS arrived at the scene, Driver Nagata was pinned between his vehicle and the roadway.    
 
Driver Nagata was transported from the scene to the Ventura County Medical Center where he is listed in critical condition.  He suffered significant head trauma, fractured ribs and a broken right clavicle as a result of the collision.  The drivers of the other vehicles were uninjured. 
 
It is unknown if alcohol or drugs were a factor in this collision. 
 
The investigation is continuing.           
 
If anyone has information about this collision, please contact Traffic Officer Manuel Perez at 805-385-7749 or via email at manuel.perez@oxnardpd.org.