Dean J. Esquibel
Agency patch
Officer

Dean J. Esquibel

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Accident
End of Watch August 21, 1985
Age 23
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Badge 11289
The Vigil Panel 129 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Dean Esquibel was killed in an automobile accident while providing backup during a high speed pursuit on State Route 198. While the two cruisers attempted to pass several vehicles one the vehicles suddenly applied the brakes, causing a chain reaction collision which knocked Officer Esquibel's cruiser into nearby construction equipment. Another officer and a truck driver were able to free him from the wreckage but he succumbed to his injuries two weeks later. The motorcycle driver they were chasing was apprehended and charged with felony hit-and-run, resisting arrest, evading a police officer, and driving on a suspended license. Officer Esquibel had served with the California Highway Patrol for one year.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-78C417AF
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
April 2, 2026
Last updated
July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

You barely got started.
Officer Esquibel gave the California Highway Patrol 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Esquibel.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Location Sacramento, CA
Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 21, 1985
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Age 23
Badge Number 11289
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Weapon Automobile
Offender Arrested

Officer Dean J. Esquibel is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At California Highway Patrol, 151 of 233 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 64.8% of this agency's fallen.

California Highway Patrol
151
of 233 officers
64.8% Accident
CA — Statewide
719
of 1,837 officers
39.1% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dean J. Esquibel's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Dean J. Esquibel Compares

Age at End of Watch
23
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
1
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

Offender Outcome

Arrested

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Dean J. Esquibel is highlighted in Aug.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897