Motorist charged 1 year after crash kills Manhattan Beach police officer

Prosecutors said lighting fixtures in a Compton man's truck fell to the road and were a key factor in the crash. The man was charged with a misdemeanor.

Tomas K - Moderator Tomas K - Moderator
Oct 9, 2024 - 08:00
Motorist charged 1 year after crash kills Manhattan Beach police officer

Prosecutors charged a man with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter more than a year after a crash that killed Manhattan Beach Police Officer Chad Swanson, who was on his way to work.

Raymond Eugene Sanders, 68, of Compton was charged with vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence, a misdemeanor, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday, Oct. 8.

The charge comes after the Oct. 4, 2023, death of Swanson, 35, who was riding his department motorcycle to work on the 405 Freeway on Carson, when he died from injuries sustained in a multi-vehicle crash.

Several lighting fixtures, which Sanders allegedly improperly secured to his truck, fell onto the road and played a key factor in the crash, prosecutors said.

Swanson was a 13-year veteran of the Manhattan Beach Police Department.

“This case is a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of negligence on our roads,” said L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón in a news release. “Drivers must always remain vigilant and cautious — failure to do so can cost lives. Those who act recklessly and put others in danger will be held accountable.”

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