Story by Hope Miller of KCRA
A California Highway Patrol officer was stabbed in the back Friday night by a driver who had been traveling over 100 mph on Interstate 5 with hazard lights on, authorities said.
KCRA reported the driver, Haile Neil, 25, of Martinez, is facing attempted murder charges for allegedly stabbing the officer, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to an incident report from the CHP’s Williams office.
The officer was flown to Enloe Medical Center in Chico, where he was later released.
The officer had spotted the speeding vehicle around 10:30 p.m. along I-5, just south of Myers Road in the Williams area, according to CHP spokesperson Franco Castillo.
The officer pulled the vehicle over and immediately suspected Neil was impaired, Castillo said.
The officer then asked Neil to get out of her vehicle so he could perform field sobriety tests.
Once she was outside, she “became belligerent, attempted to flee from the officer, and a struggle ensued,” the CHP incident report says. “During the struggle, Neil pulled a concealed knife from her person and stabbed the officer in the back.”
A tow truck driver who happened to be driving by saw the incident taking place and helped the officer place Neil into custody, Castillo said.
The CHP is asking any witnesses to contact the agency’s Williams office at 530-473-2821.
