Man charged in death of South Bay police officer

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA – A year after a pileup on the San Diego (405) Freeway killed a Manhattan Beach Police Department officer, prosecutors have charged a truck driver in his death, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday announced.

Raymond Eugene Sanders, 58, of Compton, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Oct. 4, 2023, crash that killed motorcycle officer Chad Swanson, 35. According to prosecutors, Sanders improperly attached boxes containing lighting fixtures to his truck, causing several to fall onto the roadway and causing the accident that killed Swanson.

According to the prosecutor’s office, investigators determined that improper securing was a contributing factor in the accident.

Swanson was on his way to work when the accident occurred and he was thrown from his motorcycle. He was taken to Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, where he died.

“The life of Officer Swanson, a husband and father of three young children, was tragically cut short,” Gascón said in a statement announcing the charges. “He had honorably served the Manhattan Beach community for 13 years, and his loss is deeply felt by his family, his colleagues and all who knew him. This case is a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of negligence on our roads. Drivers must do this.” Always remain vigilant and cautious – failure to do so could cost lives. Anyone who acts recklessly and puts others at risk will be held accountable.”

Sanders is scheduled to appear at the Compton courthouse on Jan. 3 on one count of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. According to the district attorney’s office, if convicted as charged, he could face up to one year in prison.

The crash on Del Amo Boulevard caused all northbound lanes in the area to be closed for hours while authorities investigated the crash, which was reported around 5:15 a.m. that day.

California Highway Patrol Chief Chris Margaris added in the statement that the CHP wanted to remind anyone transporting cargo that could end up on a roadway that the load must be properly secured.

The CHP said last year that Swanson’s motorcycle and three other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Rachel Johnson, chief of the Manhattan Beach Police Department, said last year that Swanson joined the department 13 years earlier and became a motorcycle officer in 2017. He previously worked as a civilian parking attendant with the Hawthorne Police Department, Johnson said.

“Chad lived a life of service to the community,” the chief told reporters. “His love for his work was evident every time I saw him. The last time I spoke to Chad was at the dog car show on Sunday, watching as he lifted one child after another onto his motorcycle to show them what it was like to sit astride a police car.

“He never got tired of it. And I think he would have done it until sunset if that was what it took to make every child’s day a good one. Chad was a bright star in a world that wasn’t always the same. Chad was what I mean as a really good guy. His infectious smile and laughter lit up every room he walked into. If you weren’t laughing when he was in the room, you just weren’t listening.

Swanson made headlines in 2017 when he responded to the mass shooting at the Route 91 Music Festival in Las Vegas, which he was attending with his wife Hailey, when gunfire occurred.

“When the shooting started at the Route 91 festival, Chad left nothing out,” Hailey Swanson said during his husband’s funeral on October 18.

She said her husband told her, “These are shots and you have to get out of here.”

“Before he disappeared into the chaos, he turned to me and said, ‘Hold my beer,'” she said, sparking laughter from the crowd. “He handed me his drink and I watched him run into the shots. He was so grateful to have been there that night.”

“So grateful that I was able to live out what God created him to do. When we finally found each other again the next day, he was casually strutting through the casino, shirtless, covered in blood. I ran towards him. He was crying. The first thing out of his mouth was, “Where’s my koozie?” But that was Chad.

City News Service contributed to this report.