OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California police officer responding to a call accidentally struck a man with the patrol vehicle, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. in a residential neighborhood of Oxnard, the Ventura County Star reported.

Oxnard Police Department officers were responding to a man who had asked for help, officials said.

An officer driving a marked Ford Police Interceptor SUV struck a 27-year-old man who was “lying in the roadway,” according to a police statement. It was not immediately clear whether the man in the roadway was the person who originally called for help, the newspaper said.

The man was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries. He was in stable but guarded condition Saturday afternoon, officials said.

Authorities did not identify the officer.

Preliminary information from traffic investigators indicated the man in the street may have been under the influence of drugs, according to police.

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