Atwater police cruisers damaged during pursuit

Two young men have been arrested after allegedly fleeing from Atwater police and crashing into two police cruisers.

Just after midnight Wednesday, officers were called to the 3300 block of Peninsula Drive in Atwater after receiving reports of a suspicious light-colored Toyota circling the area, police said.

An officer attempted to stop a Toyota carrying two men, police said, but the driver accelerated through a stop sign on Shaffer Road. Police followed the car as it approached a gated community.

The driver continued through a roundabout, sideswiped a K9-unit police car and crashed head-on into another police cruiser, officers said. The collision ended the pursuit.

Officers arrested the driver, Mark Guzman, 18, of Atwater and a passenger, Brandon Humbert, 20, of Le Grand. Guzman, who was wearing a neck brace from a prior injury, complained of pain and was released to paramedics, officers said. Both men are from Merced County.

The men were arrested on suspicion of felony evading police, as well as several traffic violations. Both men have been released, according to jail records.

Two officers suffered minor injuries but are back to work.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Atwater police cruisers damaged during pursuit."