California: D. A. says William Long Thai Nguyen was on meth & booze DUI cruise when he ran red light and hit cop

William Long Thai Nguyen DUI booze and drugs hit L A Deputy. Huntington Beach Police

William Long Thai Nguyen DUI booze and drugs hit L A Deputy. Huntington Beach Police

DRUNKEN DRIVER CHARGED WITH RUNNING RED LIGHT AND CRASHING INTO ON-DUTY LASD K-9 VEHICLE AND INJURING ONE DEPUTY

WESTMINSTER, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney announced that a drunken driver was charged and arraigned Dec. 7, 2015, for running through a red light and crashing into an on-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) K-9 unit’s vehicle and injuring one of the deputies.

William Long Thai Nguyen, 29, Corona, is charged with one felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs causing bodily injury with one prior, one misdemeanor count of driving a motor vehicle without a valid license, an infraction for possession of marijuana while driving, and a sentencing enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury.

The defendant also has a prior misdemeanor conviction in 2013 for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Orange County. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison and six months in jail. Nguyen is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Dec. 15, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department W-12, West Justice Center, Westminster.

At approximately 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 3, 2015, Nguyen is accused of consuming alcohol and methamphetamine before getting into his vehicle and driving eastbound on Slater Street in Huntington Beach. The defendant is accused of failing to stop at a red light and crashing into a LASD deputy’s K-9 unit vehicle, which was passing legally on the westbound side of the street.

Nguyen is accused of crashing into the victims’ car resulting in the deputy driving being knocked unconscious and suffering additional injuries including an abrasion above the victim’s left eye and a contusion on the victim’s right knee. Paramedics responded to the scene and the victim was transported to the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. The defendant sustained minor injuries in the crash and was transported to the Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. The deputy’s K-9 deputy dog was in the backseat of the vehicle. The investigation is ongoing as to whether the K-9 deputy suffered any injuries.

The Huntington Beach Police Department investigated this case.

Deputy District Attorney Angela Hong of the Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting this case.