Officer Maurice W. "Buck" Owen

Maurice W. "Buck" Owen

Officer Buck Owen succumbed to injuries sustained in two separate incidents while on duty.

In the first incident, his police motorcycle collided with a vehicle that turned in front of him. He was thrown 20 feet over the hood of the car and suffered internal injuries. Despite being injured, he wrote the driver a reckless driving ticket and continued his shift.

One month later, he was injured in another motorcycle accident while on duty. He again returned to work but started suffering serious internal pain several weeks later and was checked into a hospital. He died from a blood clot a short time later.

Officer Owen had served with the California Highway Patrol for 11 years. He was survived by his wife, two children, and a sister. His father had also served in law enforcement.