By Jim Guy
Fresno Bee
FRESNO, Calif. — Tulare County sheriff’s Sgt. Greg Hernandez died Friday from injuries suffered in a collision Jan. 29 near Cutler.
Hernandez, 50, had been in critical condition at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno since being airlifted from the crash scene the night of the accident.
The 24-year veteran of the department was on his way to back up another deputy when his patrol car slammed into a trailer truck hauling crates of oranges driven by Ezequiel Perez, 39, of Ivanhoe. Perez was uninjured.
The California Highway Patrol said Perez was southbound on Road 120 when he stopped at Road 400 and then proceeded through the intersection, which is controlled in all directions by stop signs. Hernandez entered the intersection already occupied by Perez and collided with the big rig, the CHP said.
Hernandez worked in the custody, patrol and narcotics units of the department and also served as a hostage negotiator.
“Sgt. Hernandez was a valued member of the Sheriff’s Department, who was well liked and respected in the law enforcement community,” Tulare County Sheriff Bill Wittman said. “My prayers and thoughts go to the family during this difficult time.”
A convoy of several Tulare County patrol cars with lights flashing and a sheriff’s van moved slowly down Fresno Street from the hospital a short time after Hernandez’s death was announced, headed toward Visalia. Sheriff’s officials said memorial services are pending.
Hernandez was the second deputy from the department to die in the line of duty in a little more than a year. On Dec. 17, 2007, Tulare County sheriff’s detective Kent Haws was killed on a rural roadside near Ivanhoe. Jorge Banda, 21, is accused of shooting Haws.
Remembrances can be made in honor of Hernandez at the Tulare County Deputy Sheriff’s Benevolent Association: Tulare County Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1630, Tulare, CA 93275.
Copyright 2009 Fresno Bee