Riverside County deputy dies in car crash – Law Officer

May 14, 2023

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. – A Riverside County sheriff’s deputy has died after suffering major injuries during an on-duty traffic collision early Friday morning, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.

Deputy Brett Harris, assigned to the Hemet Sheriff’s Station, was responding to a call for service about 2:15 a.m. when the two-vehicle crash occurred. He suffered a catastrophic brain injury, officials said.

“In a final act of Service Above Self, it was Deputy Harris’s wish to donate his organs so that others may live. The Harris family is currently working with the hospital to ensure his wishes are honored,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

Harris is survived by his wife, siblings, and parents, according to the news outlet.

“Please continue to pray for Deputy Harris’s wife, mother and father, twin sister, brother, and the men and women of RSO as we navigate this process,” the department said.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Law Officer article, May 12, 2023

SAN JACINTO, Calif. – A patrol deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is in critical condition  following a horrific two-vehicle crash in the City of San Jacinto early Friday morning. A second deputy was injured trying to save their colleague who was trapped in the wreckage, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.

The crash occurred about 2:15 a.m. at the intersection of Esplanade Avenue and State Street. The deputy’s vehicle was involved in the collision with another automobile, according to Sgt. Deirdre Vickers.

Responding firefighters had to use heavy equipment to free the deputy from the wreckage. Paramedics rushed the critically injured law enforcement officer to an area hospital. The second deputy was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to KTLA. 

The driver of the other automobile was transported to an area hospital as well, although that person’s injuries are unknown.

While the exact circumstances of the second deputy’s injuries have not been released, Vickers confirmed they are “unrelated to the traffic collision.”