Driver Arrested, Accused Of DUI After Crashing Into Trooper

A state trooper is recovering, and a driver was arrested following a crash Wednesday morning.

Related: OHP Trooper Involved In Crash In North OKC

Troopers said the driver slammed into a patrol car while the trooper was working a crash.

Trooper Eric Foster said Matthew Cuaresma hit one of their patrol cars while a trooper was gathering information on a crash on the shoulder of the Kilpatrick Turnpike.

“As a law enforcement officer, it makes me upset because we're there to help people and people are driving past us at 70 miles an hour literally with a line between us that's it,” Foster said.

OHP said when the driver hit the trooper's car, the cruiser flew 40 feet before hitting the semi.

“It appears as if the vehicle departed the roadway and struck the trooper's car without slowing down,” Foster said.

The trooper was transported and released from the hospital, and Cuaresma is behind bars for allegedly driving under the influence.

Trooper Foster said this crash is just a reminder as to why it's important to abide by the Move Over Law and to not drive intoxicated whether that's prescribed medicine or alcohol.

“If you are going to partake in any kind of intoxicants, legal obviously, that you do that where you are going to stay, you're not going to move. That's the safest thing,” Foster said.

OHP and other agencies will be out conducting sobriety checkpoints and patrolling as people welcome in the new year. 

During the holiday season, law enforcement agencies said they tend to see a spike in suspected driving under influence cases.

“Celebrate responsibly. Celebrate to where you'll be alive the next day. Celebrate where someone else will be alive the next day, make those choices to be able to take care of each other,” Foster said.

The checkpoint will start 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve