A Delaware man was arrested and charged with assault by auto Sunday morning after colliding with a patrol car driven by K-9 Officer Frank Timek.
Police said the incident took place just after 6:30 a.m. when several residents in the 2800 block of Denny Street called to report a car hitting several parked cars on their street.
Officers Andrew Jaques, Mark Pincus Jr. and Robert Toscano Jr. arrived at the scene and saw the suspect vehicle leaving Denny Street and heading northbound on Iowa Avenuetoward Fairmount Avenue.
The car, a gray Mitsubishi Lancer, then turned the wrong way onto Fairmount Avenue (a one-way street) and continued another block to California Avenue.
At the intersection, it collided with K-9 Officer Frank Timek, traveling with his partner Vader, in his patrol car.
The suspects then fled on foot. Vader apprehended the passenger, Luis Martin Donato Lopez, a short distance away, while the driver, Clever Sanchez, was arrested by Toscano and Pincus.
Timek was treated and released from AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, city division, while Vader was treated and released from an area animal hospital. Lopez was also treated and released from AtlantiCare.
Seven cars were damaged on Denny Street.
Sanchez, 23, of Newark, Del., was charged with driving while intoxicated, assault by auto, reckless driving, careless driving, driving the wrong way on a street, resisting arrest, eluding arrest, and driving while suspended.
Lopez, 21, of Wilmington, Del., was charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving, driving on the sidewalk, leaving the scene of an accident, driving while suspended, theft, burglary, resisting arrest, and possession of burglary tools.
No bail has yet been set and additional charges are pending.
Officer Joseph Berehelko is investigating the accident and Detective Ed Riegel is the criminal investigator.