An Oroville woman accused of driving drunk when she crashed into a marked Paradise Police patrol car has waived her right to a preliminary hearing, moving her case toward trial. Amie Elyse Kucera, 37, was driving her SUV eastbound on Rio Bonito Road near State Route 99 in Oroville just after midnight on August 26, 2026, when she allegedly ran a stop sign and struck the patrol vehicle driven by Paradise Police Sergeant John Alvies. Alvies suffered life-threatening injuries and has undergone five surgeries, while Kucera’s 6-year-old daughter, who was riding unsecured in the back seat, was hospitalized with a severely broken leg. Kucera now faces felony charges of DUI causing injury and child abuse.
KRCR reported that Kucera waived her preliminary hearing in Butte County Superior Court, acknowledging prosecutors had enough evidence to send her case to a jury trial, with a hearing to set a trial date scheduled for October 14, 2026. According to the Butte County District Attorney’s Office, a blood draw taken about three hours after the crash showed Kucera’s blood alcohol concentration at .14%, and she remains held on $340,000 bail. Sgt. Alvies, a longtime Paradise officer, was returning from a security detail at the Butte County Fair when the collision occurred. Investigators from the District Attorney’s Office happened to be nearby and arrived within a minute to render aid.
A Paradise Police detective sergeant is recovering after a high-speed crash on Highway 99 near Rio Bonito Road left him with critical injuries early Saturday, August 29, 2026. John Alvies was returning from an assignment assisting the Gridley Police Department at the Butte County Fair when another vehicle allegedly ran a stop sign and struck the driver’s side of his patrol car. Alvies suffered two broken legs, broken ribs, a punctured lung and internal bleeding, and underwent multiple surgeries. The driver of the other vehicle, identified as Amie Kucera of Oroville, was arrested on suspicion of DUI after officers reportedly found open alcohol containers in her car. Two children riding with Kucera, ages 6 and 8, were also taken to hospitals for treatment.
According to KRCR News Channel 7, the California Highway Patrol’s Oroville Area Office is investigating the crash and the DUI allegations against Kucera, who remains in custody. KQMS reported that the 6-year-old passenger was flown to UC Davis Medical Center while the 8-year-old was taken to Enloe Medical Center. The Paradise Police Department said Alvies’ condition is no longer considered life-threatening, though he faces an extended recovery. If you or a loved one was hurt in a crash caused by a suspected drunk driver, Beverly Law offers a free consultation, and you don’t pay any fee unless we win your case.
