Task Force Seeks Tow Truck Driver Who May Have Witnessed Crash Before Dixon Officer-Involved Shooting
DIXON (CBS13) – Authorities are searching for a potential witness to a single-vehicle crash that occurred moments before California Highway Patrol officers fatally shot the driver in Dixon in January, the Solano County Major Crimes Task Force announced on Thursday.
A car crashed just off the shoulder of the road along I-80 near Dixon Avenue at around 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 30, authorities said.
The task force said it is seeking a good Samaritan tow truck operator who stopped near Midway Road, just south of Dixon Avenue, to offer aid to the driver – later identified as Karl Waler, 29 – before California Highway Patrol officers arrived at the scene.
The operator was described as a man with dark, collar-length hair and a full beard. He was driving what authorities said was "a flatbed style tow truck with either a white or yellow cab."
Photos of the individual can be seen below.
The task force said the operator left the scene once the CHP arrived, and ask that the operator, or anyone who may know the operator, contact Detective Scott Yates at (707) 784-1828 or Detective Don McCoy at (707) 784-3088.
While the officers were investigating the crash, Walker reportedly drew a loaded gun and threatened the officers' safety, as detailed by the Solano County District Attorney's Office. Both officers shot Walker, who died from his injuries.
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