donjalapeno
07-19-2010, 03:49 PM
SANTA MARIA – Not much is left of a Santa Maria Police cruiser after it was wrapped around a tree early Sunday morning.
The powerful impact nearly split the squad car in two stopping just short of the officer sitting behind the wheel.
"That car is the worst police traffic collision I have seen here at this police department in 35 years", says SMPD Chief Dan Macagni.
Macagni says Officer Damon Badnell was responding to a call for help from another officer on foot chasing a burglary suspect in the north end of town.
"It had just rained, the roads were slick and for unknown reasons he lost control of the car at Main and Broadway", Macagni says.
Officer Badnell is being treated for broken bones at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital where doctors are optimistic about his recovery.
A three year veteran of the Santa Maria Police Department, Damon Badnell is a husband and father who grew up in the area and was just awarded by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for making the most DUI arrests in the city.
"It's unbelievable he's alive and survived this crash", adds Chief Macagni.
In a separate incident earlier that same Sunday morning, Summer Ramirez and her family were awoken by the sound of a suspected stolen car crashing into the first grade classroom at St. Mary's school in Santa Maria.
"If it had happened during the day time it could have killed a bunch of children", Ramirez says holding her young daughter.
It was a dramatic end to a high speed police chase that began in Pismo Beach after a report of a stolen car in Shell Beach.
"Grateful that since 1938 nothing like this has ever happened at the school", says St. Mary's principal Carmen Vadillo, "so I guess once every 72 years isn't such a bad record."
Insurance is expected to cover the cost of repairing the school classroom.
But cash-strapped St. Mary's will have to scrape up the $2,500 deductible and then get the green light from the city to have the work done in time for the start of school next month.
20 year old Marcus Lee Williams was arrested after the high speed chase and booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail with bail set at $25,000.
The powerful impact nearly split the squad car in two stopping just short of the officer sitting behind the wheel.
"That car is the worst police traffic collision I have seen here at this police department in 35 years", says SMPD Chief Dan Macagni.
Macagni says Officer Damon Badnell was responding to a call for help from another officer on foot chasing a burglary suspect in the north end of town.
"It had just rained, the roads were slick and for unknown reasons he lost control of the car at Main and Broadway", Macagni says.
Officer Badnell is being treated for broken bones at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital where doctors are optimistic about his recovery.
A three year veteran of the Santa Maria Police Department, Damon Badnell is a husband and father who grew up in the area and was just awarded by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for making the most DUI arrests in the city.
"It's unbelievable he's alive and survived this crash", adds Chief Macagni.
In a separate incident earlier that same Sunday morning, Summer Ramirez and her family were awoken by the sound of a suspected stolen car crashing into the first grade classroom at St. Mary's school in Santa Maria.
"If it had happened during the day time it could have killed a bunch of children", Ramirez says holding her young daughter.
It was a dramatic end to a high speed police chase that began in Pismo Beach after a report of a stolen car in Shell Beach.
"Grateful that since 1938 nothing like this has ever happened at the school", says St. Mary's principal Carmen Vadillo, "so I guess once every 72 years isn't such a bad record."
Insurance is expected to cover the cost of repairing the school classroom.
But cash-strapped St. Mary's will have to scrape up the $2,500 deductible and then get the green light from the city to have the work done in time for the start of school next month.
20 year old Marcus Lee Williams was arrested after the high speed chase and booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail with bail set at $25,000.