Off-Duty Officer Killed In Sherman Oaks Car Crash

April 23, 2011 8:06 PM

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SHERMAN OAKS (AP) — Authorities say an off-duty Los Angeles police officer died after his pickup truck hit a guardrail on the 101 Freeway.

Lt. Terri Brinkmeyer says the badly injured officer and the seat he was still belted into were found thrown from the truck Saturday after the single-vehicle crash in Sherman Oaks. Brinkmeyer says he died two hours later at a hospital.

The California Highway Patrol said in a statement that the guardrail penetrated the pickup and shoved the officer and his seat out the rear window.

The coroner’s office says the officer was 23-year-old Jose Diance-Cruz of Sylmar, who the LAPD says worked at Southwest Station.

A motorcade of 10 police cars escorted a van carrying Diance-Cruz from the hospital to the coroner.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Off Duty Officer Killed In Sherman Oaks Car Crash

Shanya Smith

wow i knew him.. its soo sad! his poor family.

Yesenia S. Zepeda

Wow! Really? I’m glad to have a family who really cares about and loves one another. I guess not everyone is blessed as me. I hope thats the same way you react when you lose a wonderful cousin. you’RE JUST A COWARD WHO WON’t even put up his real name you BIG FAT CHICKEN!!!!!!
Helen

Jose was a great person, inside and out. He was extremely dedicated and set out to achieve his goals at a very young age. My heart goes out to his family and friends because I know you have lost a strong, noble brother and son. RIP Diance

Gary

Very Sad. RIP Jose

Ed Rooney

Jose Dunce was a good cop.

George

sheerah
You can be little more sensative. Not funny!!
Great Kid he was he will be missed
Joanne

Diance was just a wonderful person, very good hearted. Very sad.
Tommy

@ dumbzone69 … don’t ever call the police…

Tommy

@Diego .. You two just have to call people names. Pig, Idiot, etc. without even knowing someone. At least you have proven to be idiots. Most cops do a fantastic job. But I doubt either of you would even THANK a POLICE OFFICER for doing his job.
Dave

@ Diego you not above the law either if you dont like the system then change it and stop your whining you little cry baby.

http://losangelesforme.com/2011/04/off-duty-officer-killed-in-sherman-oaks-car-crash-2/ Off-Duty Officer Killed In Sherman Oaks Car Crash | Los Angeles for Me

[...] Authorities say an off-duty Los Angeles police officer died after his pickup truck hit a guardrail on the 101 Freeway. More from: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com… [...]
Javier Perez

Diance we were friends and you were one of the greatest men i ever met! we sang the opscar myer weinner song together and not even a smirk came out of your lips because you were ready for the police department and you made it ! now God knows why he took you and i hope you take care of us all now!
hari

sad. pray for his family
Bob

Dr Ozone the coroners report takes 6 weeks to return to see if any drugs were in the system. Go back to your 7/11 job. And stop making mean comments.
Yesenia S. Zepeda

I would love to know what your sources are because not even the family has heard from the coroner and as far as I’m concerned coroners don’t just hand out that info.
BG

For anyone and everyone with negative comments, is that really necessary… obviously Diance has friends and possibly family that are looking at this.. I’m sure if you were to pass away.. whatever the cause may have been you wouldn’t want these things to be said anout you in a place where your friends and family could read it… wheather there were things that could have been done to prevent this or not there is no need to bad mouth the dead… if you want to talk about stupid.. how about the people that are saying all the negative.. would you say that is stupid? there are 2 basic rules that even the simplest of children understand… 1 do unto other as you would have done unto you 2. If you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all…. It’s funny that you can call ALL officers dumb and yet you don’t have the intelligence or common decency to follow those two simple rules… Diance was an amazing man.. however his last moments were spent doesn’t change that fact everytime i saw him he never failed to motivate me as he did with many other individuals
Yesenia S. Zepeda

WRONG!!!!! DON’T ASSUME because then you make an ASS out of U and ME but in this case its just YOU!!!
Yesenia S. Zepeda

I want to thank all the people who have come to show their support for our great loss. this only proves how strong we are and how united we can be. For all those who have negative comments, you just didn’t him and that is a shame and loss from your part.

We will forever remember you R.I.P. Jose Diance
Love you!!!!!
amoore

you are an amazing young man . . . loved by all and entrusted with our lives, our homes and our families. Love you, Diance. May the Lord protect and defend you; may he always shield you from shame.
marco

This is my cousin! He was a role mod and a goos cop. We love you. Rip jose diance
LCA

My heart and prayers go out to the Diance family. Jose was a great young man and he was a great role model to his peers. So please keep your negative comments to yourself. Cuz at this moment a family is grieving the lost of a love one. So have some respect please.
David A. Zepeda

we will always remeber u no matter what just keep ur head up family we lost a big one no matter he was a gret cousin brother and son no matter when u need it help he was their we love u RIP JOSE CRUZ DIANCE
art

Code 9 sir, thank you for ur service, my prayers are with ur family.
For the rest of you the next time your getting beat up, or ur house burglarized or your car jacked I wonder who ur gonna call for help. 911 right so show some respect.
max macias

A truely great person at heart.. from all ur football brothers and friends we will miss u baby boy!
Marco

23 years old. Same age as my son. Life was just getting started. Him becoming a police officer at such a young age was already on a career track that some 30 year olds haven’t even started.

My condolences to the family, but at least he was able to have accomplished one of his dreams at a very early age.

Ignore the negative comments. These are the very people who call the cops when someone has thrown trash unto their yard.
Sharlene Diaz

Jose Diance “Dee” was one of my best friends , he had the best attitudes towards life , &the most beautiful smile i dont think anyone could forget .. he lived his life to the fullest to the very end! we’ve had some times with our other close friends that we would’nt trade for the world! its difficult to see someone taken from us at such a young age.. especially someone like Dee with all the great things he had going for himself ! he made his family proud ,always lead a great example to his younger brothers.. & was a great police officer ! he was one in a million ! Even though he is gone .. i look around and see all the lives hes touched..i just feel so blessed to have spent so many great times with him! i will miss him very much!
LUPE!!

He was my special friends brother, i didnt know him personally but from i knew about him he was full of life and was a great person! MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY!
CESAR, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP BOO, YO SE QUE NO HAY NADA QUE YO PUEDA HACER PARA HACER LOS SENTIR MEJOR, ES MUY DIFICIL PERO TU TIENES QUE SER FURTE PARA TI Y PARA TU FAMILA! I AM HERE FOR YOU!!!

CON AMOR; LUPE!
John Kiernan

To Jose’s family and friends…

I’m so sorry for your loss and for having to read stupid comments here. I read a lot on the Internet and am constantly amazed at how the most innocent of stories ends up having some kind of flaming comments after it.

All I can say is there are some angry, angry people in the world. And while it might be quickly to raise your blood pressure, don’t let them pull you down to their level. Try to have the compassion of how hard it must be living a life that way — instead of like yours — and Jose’s.
Officer1

Just the comments by the various citizens of California makes me sick. There are only a few people in this world that place their lives on nthe line daily, police Marines, Army, Fireman, etc. We are still human and when you need us we will come. Allow us the honor of “RIP”, if its on duty or off. Why, because you didnt take the job…COWARD…Internet COWARD…
PA

THIS IS REALLY SAD TO KNOW THAT HE IS GONE. HE WILL BE MISSED BY ALL AND NEVER FORGOTTEN NOT FOR WHAT HE DID BUT FOR WHO HE WAS. A FINE YOUNG MAN, WHO MADE A DECISION TO JOIN A DEPARTMENT THAT IS FAMILY.
WE NEVER FORGET FAMILY.
TO THE FAMILY PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU.