Baby killed after sheriff’s deputy rear-ends sedan on Interstate 5 in Stockton

An infant was killed in a crash over the weekend after a San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputy rear-ended a vehicle and caused the driver to lose control, authorities said.

The deputy was driving a patrol cruiser north on Interstate 5 near Charter Way in Stockton when the vehicle rammed into a woman’s Ford sedan shortly after 10:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a news release from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department. The force of the impact propelled the Ford down an embankment.

After the car came to a stop, the deputy removed the child from the vehicle and began performing CPR, sheriff’s officials said. Good Samaritans also ran to the Ford and performed CPR on the driver.

Both the woman and the deputy were taken to area hospitals with injuries, while the infant was flown to a children’s center. The baby was later declared dead, according to the news release.

The deputy, whose name has not been released, was treated and released. The woman was in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon, according to reporting from the Stockton Record.

Authorities do not think drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash, but it is not clear what caused the collision. The California Highway Patrol is investigating, although CHP officials were not immediately available for comment Monday.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the CHP at (209) 938-4800.