OXNARD, Calif. A police officer of the Oxnard Police Department was killed Wednesday in a motorcycle fatality while he was traveling home after work.
Officer Nathan Martin, 45, was off-duty when he died following a collision near the intersection of Third Street between Marquita Street and Campton Drive, around 4:00 p.m., the Oxnard Police Department told KTLA.
According to police, Martin had just left the police station, which is less than a mile away. He was riding eastbound on Third Street when a tractor trailer turned left in front of him, Chief Scott Whitney said during a press conference Wednesday. As a result, Martin was transported to a local hospital, Whitney said. However, the officer did not survive his injuries, KTLA reported.
“It’s a terrible and dark day for everyone here at the city of Oxnard and the Oxnard Police Department,” Whitney said. “He was a good man. He worked hard for his city. He was committed to his job.”
Martin had been with the police agency for 20 years. He held a number of positions, including patrol officer, property crimes detective and traffic officer.
Martin was assigned as a school resource officer at Hueneme High School at the time of his passing. Moreover, he left the campus about an hour before the traffic fatality, police said.
The department held a procession to escort his body to the county coroner’s office. Sky5 footage showed a flag-draped coffin being carried into a hearse at Ventura County Medical Center, with dozens of officers lining the path.
Martin’s brother Tom is also an officer with the department.
The California Highway Patrol is conducting the collision investigation.
Martin is survived by his wife and three children.
