SIMI VALLEY : Woman Hurt in Police Car Accident

A Simi Valley police car broadsided another car Wednesday morning, critically injuring the other driver outside a Metrolink Station parking lot on Los Angeles Avenue, police said.

The driver of the police car, Officer Rick Rinehart, a 12-year veteran, was not hurt, police said. But Peggy Sphar, 45, of Simi Valley apparently was not wearing her seat belt and was thrown from her car and suffered head injuries, police said.

Sphar, who works as a nurse at Simi Valley Hospital, was taken to the hospital shortly before 8 a.m. and underwent surgery, hospital spokeswoman JoLynn de la Torre said. Sphar was in critical condition Wednesday afternoon.

Simi Valley Police Sgt. Mike King said detectives are still investigating the accident. Both Sphar’s station wagon and the patrol car received moderate damage, King said. Rinehart was on routine patrol at the time and was not responding to any calls at the time of the accident, King said.