The incident occurred Sunday afternoon around 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of North Waterman Avenue and 5th Street in San Bernardino.
"The moment I seen (the motorcyclist) get hit, I ran instantly to her," said Breana Diaz, who was at the adjacent Anthem Oil gas station when the incident occurred.
Video footage of the crash appears to show the female motorcyclist at least partially in the intersection when she was hit. Diaz says the motorcyclist was standing in place when the police vehicle collided. "She was not doing anything besides just staying where she was at," Diaz said. "I believe maybe she could have pulled more over to the side, but at that point, it was so fast that she didn't have the option."
The five-second-long online posting of the incident has garnered thousands of views, with some calling it a hit and run. San Bernardino Police public information officer Equino Thomas rejects those allegations. "The officer absolutely stopped, it doesn't appear that that happened in the video that's circulating, but the officer, in fact, stopped as soon as they were able to, made a U-turn, and actually called it in and requested medical aid," Thomas said.
The motorcyclist's name has not been released, but as of Monday evening is reported to be still hospitalized and in critical condition.
