Off-duty San Francisco police officer arrested in suspected DUI car crash

An off-duty San Francisco police officer has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following a Saturday morning car crash that left five people injured.

The two-vehicle collision occurred around 2 a.m. at Sunset Boulevard and Rivera Street, according to a news release from the San Francisco Police Department.

The victim’s vehicle had three adult occupants who were taken to the hospital. One has life-threatening injuries, while the other two have non-life-threatening injuries, according to SFPD.

San Francisco resident Ryan Kwong, who had recently entered field training, was identified as the driver of the vehicle and suspected to have caused the collision. Police say he was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

He and a passenger in the same car were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Kwong was arrested and booked into San Francisco County Jail.

In a statement, outgoing police chief Bill Scott called the incident “incredibly tragic” and that his “heart goes out to the injured victims.”

“We will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served in this case. No one is above the law, and our officers know they are expected to obey the law, as well as our strict code of conduct even while off duty,” Scott said.

Tracy McCray, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said in a statement the union prays for the victims’ full recovery. The union does not provide legal support for incidents that occur off-duty, McCray said. The union represents the department’s officers

“There is no excuse for drunk driving, especially for police officers. If the allegations are true, he should be held fully accountable for his actions and the harm he’s caused,” McCray said.

Police said the investigation was on-going and asked anyone with information to contact the SFPD at (415) 575-4444. Tips can be texted to TIP411 and should start with “SFPD.”