Sean Alexander Nava

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch October 28, 2000

Age 33

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

The Vigil Panel 147 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 232

Incident

Officer Sean Nava was killed after he was struck by a drunk driver, on I-5 near Carlsbad, while assisting at a previous accident on I-5, in Carlsbad. Officer Nava was standing in the median approximately six feet from the travel lanes when the incident occurred. He was flown to a local hospital where he died a short time later.

After the collision, the suspect fled the scene, but was later arrested and charged with DUI, hit and run, and manslaughter. A passenger in the vehicle stated that the suspect was aware that he hit something on the freeway before he fled the scene.

The 20-year-old driver was returning home after a night of drinking in Tijuana, Mexico. In 2002 he was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run, and sentenced to 11 years.

In 1999, Officer Nava had been awarded the Spirit of Courage Award for his attempts to save a man from a burning vehicle.

Survivors

Officer Nava had been employed with the California Highway Patrol for 12 years, and is survived by his wife and two children, ages four and seven.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-37289F15
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

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Nava gave the California Highway Patrol 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department California Highway Patrol

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 28, 2000

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Military Service

Sean Alexander Nava served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Officer Sean Alexander Nava is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In CA, 974 of 1,837 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this state's fallen. That is 1.2 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At California Highway Patrol, 71 of 233 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 30.5% of this agency's fallen.

California Highway Patrol

of 233 officers

30.5% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious