Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Michael Brandt was killed in an automobile crash while chasing a suspected drunk driver on California State Route 74 near Palm Desert. During the pursuit, Officer Brandt's vehicle went over a 15-foot embankment and overturned. The vehicle he was chasing was found 150 feet down the side of a mountain, with the driver and two children being ejected. The driver was originally charged with felony DUI, felony manslaughter, and child endangerment. He pleaded guilty to child endangerment, two counts of drunken driving, and causing injury to others and was given a maximum sentence of six years. Officer Brandt had been with the California Highway Patrol for eight years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-64AC8E7C- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Brandt gave the California Highway Patrol 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Brandt.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Michael Allen Brandt is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 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 39.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
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.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Allen Brandt's cause is highlighted.
How Michael Allen Brandt Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Allen Brandt is highlighted in Apr.
Others Who Wore This Badge
232 officers from California Highway Patrol are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
