Miguel Cano, a CHP officer, was on duty early on Wednesday morning. A few blocks away, he and his partner were on their way to the West L.A. CHP Office after making an arrest and transporting a DUI suspect.
Cano, however, did not make it.
He lost control of his patrol car and crashed into a tree in Culver City just moments after informing his partner that he wasn’t feeling well. He died. Both the suspect they were transporting and his partner suffered injuries.
Commissioner Sean Duryee of the California Highway Patrol said in a statement, “We are devastated by the loss of Officer Cano, who gave his life while serving the people of California.” We shall always remember his bravery, devotion, and commitment to public safety. During this extremely trying time, we stand with his family and our CHP family.
What caused the collision and what medical issue Cano might have had were not immediately known. According to Duryee, the officer had no known medical conditions.
At 12:28 a.m. on Wednesday, Cano, 34, of Moreno Valley, and his unnamed partner were traveling south on Bristol Parkway, north of Green Valley Circle. A individual who was allegedly in possession of a handgun, perhaps cocaine, and drug paraphernalia was taken into custody. They were concerned that the suspect might be taking too much.
As a precaution, Cano gave Narcan. When Cano stated he didn’t feel good, Duryee indicated the partners were on their way back to the office.
Their car veered off the road and collided with a tree. After being taken to UCLA Medical Center, Cano was declared dead around 1:40 in the morning.
The body was taken to the medical examiner’s office on Wednesday morning, accompanied by a sad procession of Cano’s fellow cops.
According to CHP, Cano’s partner was treated on the spot for minor injuries. The Culver City Fire Department took the suspect under arrest to Cedars-Sinai in Marina Del Rey. According to Duryee, they were not seriously hurt.
According to CHP, the event is being investigated by the department’s accident investigation unit. However, a potential drug exposure has already been ruled out by investigators.
“We don’t believe this was a drug exposure,” Duryee stated. There were no symptoms or indications of that for either the patient or the other officer.
Cano’s wife and parents survive him. He graduated from the CHP Academy in November 2023.
In a statement, California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the state and the California Highway Patrol are devastated by Cano’s passing. Flags at the State Capitol will fly at half-staff, the governor said, noting that this was the first CHP line-of-duty death since 2020.
