Cypress Police officer killed in off-duty traffic crash
Huntington Beach CA Oct 10 2017 A nine-year veteran of the Cypress Police Department was killed in a three-vehicle collision on the 405 Freeway on Sunday morning.
Officer Matt Ward, 33, who was off duty, was driving his 5-year-old son to a Boy Scouts event shortly after 9 a.m. when another driver lost control of his vehicle near the border of Huntington Beach and Westminster. That car collided with a second vehicle, which hit Ward’s truck. The impact caused the second vehicle to flip and forced Ward’s truck to crash into the center divider.
Ward’s son survived the crash with minor injuries, but Ward was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the second vehicle sustained “major injuries” and was transported to a local hospital, according to the California Highway Patrol, which is investigating the cause of the crash.
Ward worked for the Cypress Police Department as a detective and patrol officer, and led the police Explorer program, which mentors teens hoping to enter law enforcement. Before joining the Cypress department, Ward worked at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in its jails.
Ward was a graduate of Los Alamitos High School. He attended UC Santa Cruz for his bachelor’s degree in legal studies and obtained a master’s of public administration from Brandman University, Cypress Police Chief Rod Cox said.
Aaron Ireland, 38, who described Ward as his best friend, said the Cypress officer was a very intelligent man who liked to travel, go on motorcycle road trips with his friends and spend time with his family.
“He was just an around good dude – nice to everybody, good dad, good friend, good husband,” Ireland said. “He always wanted to be a police officer. He liked to help people, serve people, protect people. He was very selfless.”
“We’re still trying to wrap our heads around it.”
Ward most recently worked as a homeless liaison officer and motorcycle officer, said Cypress police Commander Jim Olson. He said Ward would be remembered for a keen sense of humor.
“He brought positivity, a warm smile and a superb work ethic” to the job, Olson said.
Cypress police honored Ward on Sunday in an “end of watch” tribute on Facebook.
Ward is survived by his wife, Allison, and his two sons, Liam, 5, and Anderson, 2.
The California Highway Patrol has asked anyone who witnessed the collision to call 714-892-4426.
