OCEANSIDE, Calif – A motorcycle patrolman was airlifted to a hospital after being run down by a car, police said.

The patrolman had pulled over a driver on Oceanside Boulevard at Foussat Road at about 10:30 a.m. and was off his motorcycle when he was hit by another car.

The driver who hit the officer accelerated a silver Dodge Neon at the officer and appeared to hit him intentionally, pinning him against the other vehicle, a witness told FOX 5 News.

“It was definitely not an accident,” said Witness, Toni Lassard .

Toni Lassard saw the entire thing happen.

“I saw him go flying yes, and then go further down the hill rolling yes, I saw the whole entire thing,” said Lassard. “He was just kind of groaning, you know? And we just kind of got him to stay still until someone came; the ambulance came and helped him.”

The driver and a passenger fled the scene after hitting the officer, and abandoned the Neon several blocks away at Industry Street and El Camino Real, Oceanside Police Department spokesman Tom Bussey said. One suspect was arrested near the car, but the second suspect got away.  Police had only a vague description of the second suspect.

Oceanside police say this hit and run is now being investigated by homicide detectives.

“We’re looking at it as an attempted murder on a police officer,” said Bussey. “We’re certainly going to interview the suspect we have in custody. We’re currently looking for the other suspect, and will be for sometime. And we’ll just process the scene which is going to take a while as well to collect all the evidence that we can here.”

The injured officer has been with the Oceanside Police Department for more than 25 years. He was conscious and alert when he was loaded into the air ambulance and flown to Scripps Memorial Hospital. There was no information about severity of his injuries.

Stretches of Foussat Road and Industry Street remained closed through late morning due to the accident.