Off-Duty CA Firefighter Killed in Crash with DOT Truck

Michael Shepard, a captain with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, died after colliding with a California Department of Transportation truck in Santa Clarita.

Jan. 24, 2019

An off-duty California firefighter was killed when he collided with a Department of Transportation truck on the freeway Wednesday.

Michael Shepard, a captain with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, was driving his Jeep north on the Antelope Valley Freeway in Santa Clarita at around 11:15 a.m. when he struck the Caltrans truck, KCAL-TV reports. The vehicle was part of a sweeper operation and had been outfitted with a dump truck bed.

Shepard, 63, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Firefighters at the Santa Clarita station where Shepard was assigned lowered their flag to half staff Wednesday night, according to the TV station.