Injured Atwater officer to return to duty this week

An Atwater police officer is expected to return to duty later this week after suffering minor injuries in a head-on collision over the weekend, the Police Department confirmed.

Jason DaSilva, 29, lost consciousness briefly Saturday night after a vehicle turned in to his police cruiser on Atwater Boulevard, authorities said.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident to avoid a conflict of interest, Officer Moises Onsurez confirmed.

Atwater police Lt. Samuel Joseph said the department expects DaSilva to return to duty later this week, but no specific date had been set as of Monday.

Irma Aguilar-Bucio, 28, of Atwater and a 2-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl also suffered minor injuries but declined medical treatment at the scene, the CHP said.

DaSilva was heading west around 45 mph in the 200 block of Atwater Boulevard. Aguilar-Bucio was driving east in a green 2003 Honda Accord with the two children inside. Aguilar-Bucio made a left turn toward the parking lot of the R&N Market directly into the path of the oncoming police vehicle, the CHP said.

Investigators said alcohol was not a factor in the collision.

The CHP on Monday said the incident was still under investigation. Onsurez said there was no timetable for when the investigation would be completed.

“This investigation will take time to complete,” Onsurez said. “An in-depth investigation will happen due to the special circumstances of an involved on-duty vehicle.”

Atwater police have said they won’t know whether an internal review will be conducted until the CHP investigation concludes. Police have said that, based on preliminary reports, it does not appear DaSilva did anything that would warrant an internal investigation.

This story was originally published December 29, 2014 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Injured Atwater officer to return to duty this week."