Costa Mesa pays rental car dealer for fender bender

The city of Costa Mesa settled a $952.17 claim with a local rental car dealer, after an undercover police officer was rear-ended while driving one of its vehicles, authorities said.

Connell Nissan filed the report in November 2007 after a collision on Newport Boulevard north of 19th Street left bumper damage on the 2007 Nissan Armada.

Officer Allen Rieckhof blamed the citizen driver for speeding up and rear-ending an undercover officer, who, he said, made an unsafe lane change, the police report states.

There were no injuries. The officer was on duty at the time of the crash.

— Chris Caesar