Weird Coincidence As Officer Is Injured in Crash Following Traffic Duty For Funeral of Fallen Officer

In a series of tragic coincidences, a Cypress motorcycle officer was injured in a collision Friday just blocks away from the funeral for the Hawthorne motorcycle officer, who was killed in a crash during a funeral motorcade, said police.

"He had just finished traffic control duty for the day,'' said Sgt. Bob Cody of the Cypress Police Department. Portions of Cerritos Avenue and surrounding streets had been closed Friday for the funeral service and procession to Forest Lawn Memorial Park, and Cypress officers guided traffic along alternate routes.

The Funeral for 44-year-old  Officer Andrew Garton of Rossmoor drew thousands of mourners and hundreds of motorcycle officers. Garton died May 26 after colliding with an El Segundo police motorcycle as the two cleared traffic for the motorcade of a deceased Manhattan Beach police officer.

``(Friday’s) collision was not involved with a motorcade of any sort or even another motorcycle officer for that matter,'' said Cody.  

The Cypress motorcycle officer probably broke both wrists and was taken to Long Beach Memorial Hospital in unknown condition.  The crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Cobblestone Lane. The 30-year-old officer, is a four-year veteran who has spent a year-and-a-half as a motorcycle officer. He had been on his way back to the station to complete his workday, Cody said.

City News Service