Driver killed in crash with sheriff's SUV in Apple Valley

A man died after his car crashed into a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department SUV at an intersection in Apple Valley, local authorities said.

The fatal crash happened shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday on Bear Valley Road, west of Kiowa Road, according to San Bernardino County Fire Protection District records.

A deputy was responding to a “priority call,” sheriff's department spokeswoman Mara Rodriguez said, when the vehicle collided with a Toyota Corolla near the intersection.

“(The deputy) was traveling westbound on Bear Valley Road with emergency lights and sirens activated,” sheriff's officials said in a written statement.

The Toyota was traveling east and the driver was attempting to turn left into a parking lot when the vehicles collided, according to the agency.

“The driver of the (Toyota) was the sole occupant and was unfortunately pronounced deceased at the scene,” Rodriguez said. The deputy was treated for apparently minor injuries, she added.

Both vehicles sustained significant front-end damage, with debris from the Toyota strewn across Bear Valley Road and primarily in front of the Dollar General store.

It's unclear what type of call the deputy was responding to when the collision occurred.

No further details were available.

Bear Valley Road, from Kiowa Road to Snapping Turtle Road, remained closed into the evening hours while authorities conducted an investigation.

This is the seventh fatal collision reported in Apple Valley in the past two months.

Any witnesses or anyone with information can contact the Apple Valley station at (760) 240-7400. Anonymous information may also be provided to the We-Tip hotline at (800) 782-7463.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Driver killed in crash with sheriff's SUV in Apple Valley