Det. Sgt. Curt Massey, described as a “rising star” in the Culver City Police Dept., was killed a little after 5 o’clock this morning when a wrong-way driver on the Santa Monica Freeway ploughed into the officer’s vehicle at a screaming rate of speed.
The youthful and out-of-control driver, eerily careening down the fairly open wrong side of the freeway an hour and a half before dawn, also was killed. He remained unidentified this afternoon. His Toyota Camry rocketed into Sgt. Massey’s Dodge Charger.
The driver was a 21-year-old resident of Van Nuys. No further details were released at a press conference this afternoon in front of City Hall. .
Asst. Chief Craig S. Klein of the California Highway Patrol said that probing for whether drugs or alcohol were involved — given the bizarreness of the tragedy — “will be a large part” of the CHP’s investigation.
Like Sgt. Massey, the Valley driver was pronounced dead at the scene, just east of the 405 Freeway, near the National Boulevard ramp where the officer probably would have exited.
The sergeant was on his way to work from his Westside home where he resided with his wife and three young children, ranging in age from 3 to 11.
Police Chief Don Pedersen spent this morning consoling Mrs. Massey and her children.
He said the sergeant was the first Culver City officer in the department’s history of more than 80 years “I know of” to lose his life in the line of duty.
Culver City officers formed an impressive, uniformed phalanx behind Chief Pedersen and Chief Klein at the press conference.
Mayor Scott Malsin said that Sgt. Massey was “soft-spoken, very well liked and often in the community.”
He called Sgt. Massey “the quintessential officer” as a symbol of the department of 115 sworn officers.
The 41-year-old officer was heavily decorated. Not only was he a recipient of the Medal of Valor, the department’s highest honor, he also was chosen Officer of the Year three separate times.
Most recently assigned to the Juvenile Bureau, Sgt. Massey was in his 18th year with the department.
Deeply involved in community activities, he was a founder of the department’s popular Santa Sleigh program.
The tragic and rare form of collision ignited such a spectacular commotion that the eastbound side of the 10 Freeway was shut down for more than 7 hours.
A benefit fund has been organized for the Massey family. The address:
Sgt. Curtis Massey Memorial Fund
C/o Culver City Federal Credit Union
9770 Culver Blvd.
Culver City 90232.
