Bryce Hanes
ONTARIO – Not much was known about the driver who was suspected of being drunk when he crashed into a police officer early Thursday morning.
Bryce Hanes, 40, a 12-year veteran of the San Bernardino Police Department, was killed when Archie Green III, 27, of Redlands, ran through a red light, striking the car Hanes was driving, broadsiding his car in the process.
Hanes was taken to Kaiser Permanente Hospital in nearby Fontana for treatment but died at the medical facility, said San Bernardino police spokesman Rich Lawhead.
Archie Green III
The DUI has attracted the attention of major media outlets throughout Southern California. The Hanes family, who are Redlands residents, were silent in hopes that observers “respect their privacy as they work through this difficult time.”
Hanes left behind a wife and three small children, and drew high praise from Chief of Police Jarrod Burguan, who was once his desk sergeant during the graveyard shift.
Green, meanwhile, was arrested at the scene of the crash, which occurred at 4th Street and Etiwanda at 2:14 a.m.
Hanes, who was on duty, had just left the San Bernardino County West Valley Detention Center, en route back to the city of San Bernardino when the crash occurred.
Said Burguan: “Bryce was one of those guys that came to work every day with a great attitude. He got along with all of his co-workers and really loved his job. He literally has been an exemplary officer for this city.”
According to reports, he was driving southbound on Etiwanda when he was struck by Green’s eastbound car. Green was treated at a hospital for minor injuries and then booked into West Valley Detention Center, the same facility Hanes had just left. Ontario police are conducting a criminal investigation.
Green will face charges of suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol while causing fatal injuries, according to Ontario police. Green’s initial court date is scheduled for November 9 at the Rancho Cucamonga Superior Court.
Governor Jerry Brown also released a statement of sympathy over Hanes’ death.
