HESPERIA, Calif. (VVNG.com) — An off-duty sheriff’s deputy who was at the very beginning of his law enforcement career, died in a crash Tuesday that left another person in serious condition, officials said.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Garrett Pontier, a 22-year-old resident of Apple Valley, died after his 2003 Honda Accord traveling northbound on Interstate 15 collided with the rear of a truck-tractor combination heading in the same direction, the California Highway Patrol Victorville Office confirmed.
It happened on March 31, 2020, at 1:30 a.m., when, for reasons still under investigation, Pontier drifted from the #2 lane, into the #3 lane and then collided into the rear of the semi.
Pontier was declared deceased at the scene, and his right-front passenger, a 21-year-old male of Rancho Cucamonga, sustained major injuries and was flown to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.
The driver of the semi truck was not injured.
“We lost a young, vibrant deputy today in a tragic, off-duty car accident. Our hearts are heavy for all who knew and loved him,” said Deputy Kenneth Lutz, Garrett’s Captain at the High Desert Detention Center (HDDC) where he was assigned to upon graduating the Sheriff’s Academy in December.
“Garrett was a shining light that drew everyone to him,” said Lutz. “He was highly professional and motivated to serve the public. I could not have asked for a better deputy sheriff.”
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