The Riverside County coroner’s office released the name of the off-duty Buena Park reserve police officer killed Saturday when his car crashed into a trailer that had become detached from another trailer and semi on the Riverside (91) Freeway in Corona.
Arthur Brice, 58, was a Moreno Valley resident, the coroner’s office said.
“Today, our department mourns the loss of Officer Art Brice. Officer Brice gave the city and citizens of Buena Park 11 years of dedicated service, as one of our reserve officers. Officer Brice had been assigned to our Gang Unit and patrol. Officer Brice also served as a member of our Color Guard,” the Buena Park Police Department noted in a statement. Brice was on his way home from completing a shift.
“Officer Brice will be remembered as a genuine, caring, and uplifting presence, always ready to lend a hand or an ear. One of his favorite topics of discussion has been his 8 month old granddaughter,” the statement continued.
`The men & women of @OCSheriff offer condolences to the @BuenaParkPD as they mourn the loss of Officer Brice.” Assistant Orange County Sheriff Jeff Hallock noted in a Twitter statement. “I had the personal honor of working with Officer Brice over 20 years ago. He was a strong, caring and genuine man.”
The crash in the eastbound lanes, near South Promenade Avenue, was just before 5 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer L. Keeble said.
A 2014 Volvo tractor driven by Clifton Darling of Oak Hills was pulling two trailers eastbound when the rear trailer became detached and stopped in the number 2 lane, Keeble said. Darling moved to the right shoulder and began contacting CHP dispatch.
Brice was driving his 2010 Toyota Corolla eastbound in the number 2 lane and collided with the rear of the disabled trailer, the officer said. He then spun to the right and hit the left side of a 2011 Volvo tractor driven by Ernesto Villasen, 60, of Maywood in the number 3 lane.
Brice was trapped inside his car until firefighters arrived and he was taken to Riverside Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:15 a.m., the coroner said.
“At this time, drugs and or alcohol are not suspected to be contributing factors in this collision,” Keeble said.
Riverside City police said they assisted in traffic control around noon as a procession took the victim’s body from Riverside Community Hospital to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office in Perris, according to Officer Ryan Railsback, a department spokesman.