Peace Officers Research Association of California

Deputy Ken Collier
San Diego County Sheriff's Department
EOW: February 28, 2010

San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy Ken Collier (39) was killed in a traffic collision in the early morning hours of February 28, 2010.

Shortly after 3:00 a.m. Deputy Collier and his ride-along, Sheriff’s Dispatcher Ryan Debellis, came upon a wrong-way driver heading eastbound in the westbound lanes of Highway 52, in the city of Santee.

Deputy Collier advised dispatch and tried to overtake the wrong-way driver. His patrol SUV was traveling in the center median shoulder when it struck the center median bridge abutment, rolled several hundred feet, ejecting Deputy Collier, and coming to a rest in a ravine. Debellis, was able to crawl out of the patrol vehicle just moments before it burst into flames. It took a tremendous effort by the deputies and other first responders to get Collier and Debellis up from the ravine where they could be treated by emergency medical personnel. Both were air lifted to local trauma centers.

Despite the valiant efforts of the deputies and officers from all over the county, emergency medical responders, and hospital personnel, Deputy Collier succumbed to his injuries. Ryan Debellis is expected to make a full recovery.

Moments after the collision, Jose Jasso Lopez (22) of San Diego was stopped driving the wrong way on Highway 52. He was arrested by Sheriff’s Deputies and CHP Officers between Mast Boulevard and Mission Gorge in Santee. Pending charges will include felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter.

Deputy Collier leaves behind his fiancée, whom he was set to marry in June, and his brother and sister, all from the San Diego area.