LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Manhattan Beach Police Officer Chad Swanson, a dedicated 35-year-old cop, lost his life in a four-car pileup on Wednesday morning.
This incident happened around 5:15 a.m. near Del Amo Avenue on the 405 freeway in Carson, California, as Officer Swanson was just on his way to work.
Officer Swanson's dedication to keeping the community safe went beyond his daily job.
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According to Lt. Benjamin Kelly of the Manhattan Beach police department, Officer Swanson was among the attendees at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, where the mass shooting occurred.
"Many of you may not have known Chad personally, but you know of him... He personally was responsible for saving several lives and helping rescue victims out of that area," Benjamin said.
The California Highway Patrol is looking into the crash, and they're saying that it looks like one of the vehicles might have been going too fast and made a risky lane change, which led to the accident.
"At this time, it looks like a vehicle may have been traveling at an unsafe speed and possibly conducted an unsafe lane change," California Highway Patrol Lt. Steve Carapia said at a news conference, held on the side of the freeway that was shut down amid the investigation.”
Officer Swanson had been with the Manhattan Beach Police Department for over 13 years. He leaves behind his wife, three little boys, and his parents, who are all devastated by this tragic loss.
