A retired deputy U.S. Marshal was killed in a motorcycle crash along a freeway in La Mesa last week and investigators are still searching for a driver involved in the deadly collision.
On Nov. 7, at around 5:10 a.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to westbound Interstate 8 at State Route 125, east of Severin Drive, for reports of a motorcycle collision.
California Highway Patrol officials confirmed one person was killed in the accident. The victim was soon identified by the U.S. Marshals Service as retired deputy John Brady, 65, of Ramona.
Ben Walker, public information officer with the U.S. Marshals Service, told NBC 7 Brady had worked for the agency for nearly 26 years before retiring on Jan. 3, 2007.
Brady was currently working as a court security officer at the federal courthouse in San Diego, Walker confirmed.
A former U.S. Marshals colleague and friend described Brady as a “gregarious and generous man” who loved riding and racing motorcycles. Brady leaves behind a wife and children.
One week after the deadly crash, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) revealed new details in the investigation, including the search for another driver possibly linked to the crash.
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According to the CHP, Brady – riding his 2017 Yamaha motorcycle – likely collided with another vehicle on the freeway. The impact knocked him off his motorcycle and into the roadway, where he was then hit by an oncoming BMW sedan.
While the driver of the BMW stopped at the scene of the crash, the driver of the initial car involved in the collision did not. That driver remains unknown, CHP said, and the investigation is ongoing.
On Thursday, Brady's wife Cindy told NBC 7 she and her family were lucky to have him in their lives as long as they did.
"We were blessed," Cindy said. "Most people could never have what we had. I truly loved him and I know he loved me. It was just wonderful."
Cindy said between her husband's 26-year career with the U.S. Marshals and service time in the Air Force, he spent a total of 47 years in law enforcement.
She said Brady rode motorcycles of every type his whole life, and that he was careful and in good health. A retired San Diego police detective herself, Cindy says the physical evidence at the crash scene, like his bike's flattened handlebars, suggest he was hit by another vehicle.
"A man who has been riding his whole life doesn't just fall over the front of his handlebars," she said.
Though she says she's not much for mysteries anymore -- she'd rather bounce a grandchild on her knee -- Cindy still values justice and the peace of mind that comes with a case closed.
Drugs or alcohol are not suspected to have contributed to the crash, the CHP said.
Anyone who witnessed the events leading to Brady being thrown from his motorcycle can reach out to CHP Officer Travis Garrow at (619) 401-2000.
