A Ceres Police officer driving in Oakdale on his way to work in a marked K-9 unit was involved in a solo-vehicle crash with a power pole early Thursday morning, Aug. 18, causing thousands of residents in the area to temporarily lose power.

Oakdale Police Sergeant Joe Carrillo said emergency crews responded to Sierra Avenue behind Sierra View Elementary School around 5:40 a.m. for the collision.

Carrillo said the officer was on his way to work when the vehicle, a Ceres Police Ford Explorer K-9 unit, left the roadway and struck a guideline to a power pole, causing the unit to roll onto its roof.

The force of the collision caused nearby resident to lose power.

Ceres Police later identified the officer involved as Officer Coey Henson and his K-9 partner, Dex. The officer suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital and Dex only had minor scratches from the collision.

According to the department, Henson said he had swerved off the road to avoid striking three stray dogs that had darted out in front of him.

PG&E restored most of the power within 90 minutes of the crash and had full service to the area by 8:30 a.m.

It is common practice in law enforcement for K-9 officer to take patrol units home with them due to the need for a quick response should the dog be needed after a regular assigned shift.

Because the collision involved a police unit and there were injuries, the California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.