A California Highway Patrol officer was hospitalized with major injuries after an allegedly impaired driver crashed head-on into their patrol car in the Grimes Canyon area of Ventura County, according to CHP. The crash happened at about 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, when a white Chevrolet pickup heading northbound on Grimes Canyon Road allegedly crossed over the double-yellow lines and struck the southbound patrol car head-on.
Updated August 21, 2026: The California Highway Patrol’s Coastal Division publicly identified the arrested driver as Derek Skinner, 34, of Santa Paula, who was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence causing bodily injury, and said the injured officer and his passenger are both expected to make full recoveries, according to a CHP news release. No charging decision by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has been reported as of this update, and Skinner is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Updated August 18, 2026: The California Highway Patrol said the arrested driver is a 34-year-old Santa Paula man who was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury after his northbound pickup crossed the double-yellow lines, and that all three people involved are expected to make a full recovery, according to KEYT News Channel 3-12. No conviction has been reported.
The suspect was identified by CHP as Derek Skinner, 34, of Santa Paula. As reported by KTLA, the CHP officer and a 40-year-old Chatsworth woman who was riding in the pickup suffered major injuries, and both are expected to make full recoveries. Skinner suffered minor injuries and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury after being checked out at a hospital; he was booked into Ventura County Jail. Grimes Canyon Road was closed for roughly three hours. The crash remains under investigation by CHP’s Moorpark office, and no conviction has been reported. Anyone with information is asked to call 805-553-0800.