Duty Death: Bryce Hanes - [San Bernardino]
End of Service: 05/11/2015
By Ali Tadayon
The Orange County Register
FONTANA, Calif. — A San Bernardino police officer was killed today, in a crash involving a suspected drunken driver.
Officer Bryce Hanes, a 12-year veteran of the police force, was the officer killed. The 40-year-old officer was a Redlands resident.
While on duty about 2 a.m. Thursday, Hanes transported an inmate to Rancho Cucamonga’s West Valley Detention Center, said Police Department spokesman Lt. Rich Lawhead.
After dropping off the inmate, Hanes drove south on Etiwanda Avenue approaching Fourth Street. He had the green light when police say a 27-year-old Fontana man heading east on Fourth drove through the red light and broadsided Hanes’ cruiser on the passenger side.
The crash caused the officer’s patrol car to spin out and crash into a power pole.
The man, who was driving a 2008 Dodge Charger, was arrested at the scene and booked on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving.
Hanes was transported to Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center where he died a short time after the wreck, Lawhead said.
San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said the agency mourned Hanes’ loss Thursday morning. Burguan worked with Hanes in the past when Burguan was the graveyard shift sergeant.
“Bryce was one if those guys that came to work every day with a great attitude,” Burguan said. “He got along with all of his coworkers and really loved his job.”
Burguan said Hanes never received complaints and never had to be disciplined during his career.
“He literally has been an exemplary officer for this city,” Burguan said.
Hanes is survived by a wife and three children -- two daughters and one son -- all under the age of 12.
The crash was on the Ontario side of the Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga border. Fourth Street is the dividing line. Ontario Police Department is leading the investigation.
The area was blocked off by authorities this morning while the scene was being investigated. The cruiser was still at the scene as of 6:30 a.m.
Copyright 2015 The Orange County Register