Posted on 05/09/2010 9:12:32 AM PDT by DogByte6RER
California Highway Patrol Officer Danny Benavidas killed in plane crash
COACHELLA - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today sent condolences to the family of Highway Patrol officer Danny Benavidas, who was killed in a plane crash near Borrego Springs.
"Maria and I were deeply saddened to learn of this tragedy. Officer Benavides dedicated his life to ensuring the safety and security of California residents, and his honorable service will forever be remembered," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today when he heard of the crash. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Benavides' family during this difficult time."
Officer Danny Benavides was found dead in the wreckage of his aircraft by a search and rescue team at 4:03 p.m. southwest of the Salton Sea in Imperial County, said CHP officer Ramon Perez.
At 9:30 a.m. Friday, Benavides was flying a Cessna 206 from Brawley to the Ocotillo area, on the San Advertisement
Sandra Bright Diego-Imperial county line, when the CHP's communication center in El Centro lost radio contact.
The military and multiple police and rescue agencies immediately began searching for the pilot. A California State Parks air unit found the wreckage in the rugged mountains of the desert near State Route 78 west of Split Mountain Road.
Benavides was pronounced dead on the scene, according to Perez.
Benavides was a 13-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol and was assigned to the Border Division Thermal Air Operations Unit since July, 2006. The unit uses small aircraft to monitor freeways and radio information about speeders on freeways in Riverside, Imperial and San Diego counties.
He had also worked in Monterey, San Jose, San Diego and Oceanside, Perez said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.
Eternal rest...
So all he did was speeding tickets? He probably made $200,000 per year for this part-time job, and his family will continue to collect this amount until California self-destructs.
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