[b]Sheriff's deputy dies in hospital[/b]
Motorcycle officer Matthew Davis succumbs to head injuries after a crash Friday.
By MARIA SACCHETTI
The Orange County Register

[img]http://www.ocsd.org/images/DavisMattOne.jpg[/img]

MISSION VIEJO – Matthew Davis, a sergeant in the Orange County Sheriff's Department, died Sunday morning at Mission Hospital, two days after he sustained massive head injuries in a traffic accident, officials said.

Davis, 38, a devout Christian, husband and father of three young children, devoted his career to preventing accidents. Friday, a 17-year- old girl driving a Saturn hit Davis on his motorcycle as he headed south on Marguerite Parkway. The girl was not injured and an investigation is pending, sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.

At Mission Hospital on Sunday, sheriff's deputies in uniform or plain clothes streamed into the waiting room or shared the bad news over the police radio that Davis, after undergoing surgery, had succumbed to his injuries.

"Somebody said it best: He was our friend, he was our partner and he was our leader," said Brian Hall, a motorcycle officer. "That's how we felt about him."

At the crash site several blocks away, mourners placed bouquets of autumn blossoms, eucalyptus and orange lilies, and a star-spangled balloon with the handwritten words, "God bless you, Matt." Some fastened flowers to the bent traffic sign in the middle of busy Marguerite Parkway at La Sierra Drive, where Davis was hit.

Friends remembered Davis as soft-spoken and friendly, someone who was serious about his work but also devoted to his family. He volunteered as mentor and youth leader at the Evangelical Free Church in Corona, the town where he lived with his wife, Tammy, and their young family.

"Serving the community was his way of serving Christ," said family friend Al Wilsey. "He loved life."

On the job, Davis was firm but fair to the motorcycle officers - the "motors" - he supervised, colleagues said. If someone called with a complaint, he would investigate both sides without rushing to judgement, they said.

"I never heard him raise his voice," said Sgt. Jim Sewell, who placed a star-spangled balloon at the crash site. "He's a level-headed, easygoing guy."

A 16-year veteran of the force, Davis also could be quick with a wisecrack and was humble enough to turn to others for advice when he needed it.

More often, though, he was seen as someone who could make the right decision quickly. He led regular training sessions for his team to sharpen their skills, from handling complex accident scenes to dealing with difficult drivers.

"He had a reputation for making the right decision at the right time," Sewell said.

The accident comes two years after motorcycle officer Steve Parsons was struck and killed by a woman who ran a red light.

Neighbors said they have complained about safety at the intersection of La Sierra and Marguerite Parkway. Some said they refuse to turn left from La Sierra because it requires crossing a busy, winding road.

"We've always warned everybody about this intersection," said resident Dawn Cole, who called for a traffic light at the area. "The cars just come so fast on Marguerite."

Trish Kelley, a resident who is running for Mission Viejo City Council, said she long ago instructed her kids to turn right onto Marguerite and make a U-turn at a nearby stoplight if they need to drive north.

"It's just because our traffic has increased so much," she said. "My kids are forbidden to turn left."

Kelley said the accident shook neighborhood residents, many of whom had been praying at home and in church for Davis to recover.

"Everyone feels so terribly bad," she said. "That is just heartbreaking."

[usa]

Thank you Sgt. Davis, and God Bless.

Rest well, you've earned it.

[usa]

Sergeant Davis

God Bless this Police Officer


medcop

Funeral services areon Thursday at 10AM in Lake Forest California.

[url]http://www.ocsd.org/SitePages/Davis.pdf[/url]