Crime & Safety
"Hard-working, honorable, humble" CHP Officer's Final Ride
John Fanene, a 38-year old Napa County CHP officer, was off duty when his motorcycle collided with truck
By Bay City News Service
The Solano County coroner's office has identified the off-duty California Highway Patrol officer who died in a vehicle crash in Fairfield on Friday as 38-year-old John Fanene. Napa Patch identified the officer on Friday, but additional details of his career and the accident have since been released.
The Napa resident was with the CHP for 15 years and was assigned to the Cordelia Inspection Facility on Interstate Highway 80 near state Highway 12 in Fairfield, CHP Sgt. Diana McDermott said. In addition to Fairfield, he worked in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Contra Costa County and Napa.
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Fanene was riding a 2010 Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle west on state Highway 12 just west of Red Top Road around 5:45 p.m. Friday, CHP Officer Chris Parker said.
A 1995 Toyota pickup driving east on Highway 12 by Edward Turner II, 39, of Esparto, entered a left turn lane for 1687 Jameson Canyon Road, Parker said.
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The pickup crossed the No. 1 lane of westbound Highway 12 and was partially in the No. 2 westbound lane as Turner Fanene's motorcycle approached him from his right, Parker said.
Turner accelerated the pickup to avoid a crash, but Fanene's motorcycle collided with the right rear of the Toyota, ejecting Fanene from the motorcycle, Parker said.
Fanene was pronounced dead at the scene. Drugs or alcohol are not considered factors in the collision, Parker said. The crash closed Highway 12 between South Kelly Road and Highway 80 between 6 p.m. Friday and 4:35 a.m. Saturday.
When CHP officers responded to the crash, they found a motorist who had stopped providing CPR to Fanene, McDermott said. "Although Officer Fanene's injuries were too extensive, knowing he was being cared for meant a great deal," McDermott said.
Fanene's commander, Lt. Mike Ferrell, said Fanene "had a big heart, was fun and loving.... He was a professional and took his job very seriously, especially when it came to saving lives," Ferrell said.
McDermott said Fanene's co-workers described him as "hard-working, respectful, honorable and humble."
