Courtesy of UCPD
Courtesy of UCPD

On the morning of Oct. 12, 2013, a drunk driver was arrested after slamming his white four-door Lexus into the side of a UC Police Department patrol car. According to the UCPD, an on-duty police officer was inside the squad car when the drunk driver collided with him. The accident occurred near the 1400 block of University Avenue around 1 a.m.

The driver of the Lexus was Paulo Jin Kim, a 19-year-old UC Riverside student. Kim was allegedly driving under the influence (DUI) when he slammed into the patrol vehicle. He was arrested on DUI charges and booked in county jail.

The officer inside the patrol vehicle sustained minor injuries, but did not need to go to the hospital. No further details were released about whether or not Kim needed medical attention after the accident as well. The UCPD reassured, however, that neither the driver or the officer sustained “any life threatening injuries.”

UCPD Chief of Police Mike Lane spoke with the Highlander about the crash, saying, “(The officer) is expected to make a full recovery.” The name of the officer was not revealed, however.

There was an additional passenger inside Kim’s car during the accident, but the passenger was not arrested.

The UCPD squad car received significant damage and was deemed “un-drivable” in the aftermath of the collision. The patrol vehicle was towed away following the crash and is expected to be replaced.

“This was an older patrol vehicle and we believe the cost of repairing it would likely be more that its current value,” stated Lane about the patrol vehicle. There is no word yet on the exact damage costs from the collision.

UCPD has investigated a number of DUI cases in the past year alone. In 2012, the department recorded a total of 32 DUI arrests involving alcohol or drugs. Seven of the 32 arrests were students.