Officer injured while responding to call

A Newport Beach police officer was injured Friday night in a motorcycle accident while rushing to an emergency call.

The officer, along with many others, was on Pacific Coast Highway, racing to the scene of a domestic disturbance involving a man with a knife about 7:50 p.m. when a motorist braked suddenly, apparently to help clear the way for the officer at Irvine Terrace, Sgt. Steve Koudelka said. Instead, the officer, “rear-ended the vehicle and got launched,” he added.

The officer, who was not seriously hurt, was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo. Shortly after he arrived at the hospital he was moving his arms and legs and appeared to suffer just “a nasty road rash,” Koudelka said.