The veteran Sacramento County sheriff's deputy arrested Sunday on suspicion of driving under the influence is a 17-year veteran of the department, authorities said.
Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos said that 41-year-old Chuck Lawrence Pfau will be put on paid administrative leave as a result of the arrest.
A California Highway Patrol officer arrested Pfau, of Folsom, on Sunday afternoon after he was involved in a collision with another vehicle, said Officer Jasper Begay, a CHP spokesman.
Pfau, driving a Dodge Ram pickup while off duty, and a 63-year-old woman driving a Honda CRV were headed southbound on Fair Oaks Boulevard south of Sunset Boulevard when the woman stopped in the lane to make a left turn onto Plumeria Avenue, Begay said.
Pfau, who was traveling behind the woman, crossed the double lines to pass the CRV on the left when the woman made the left turn, Begay said. The right front side of Pfau's pickup struck the CRV's driver-side door, Begay said.
They pulled over to the shoulder, and a CHP officer arrived to investigate. The officer thought Pfau was under the influence of alcohol, conducted several field sobriety tests and then arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence, Begay said.
Pfau, the CRV's driver and her two passengers were not injured. The CRV received moderate damage and had to be towed, Begay said.
Pfau was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail and released later that day.
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