Daniel Nava Benavides
Agency patch
Pilot Officer

Daniel Nava Benavides

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Accident
End of Watch May 7, 2010
Age 39
Tour of Duty 13 yrs
The Vigil Panel 159 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Daniel Benavides was killed when the department airplane he was piloting crashed.

He was flying a Cessna 206 on observation patrol for a speed detail near Highway 78 when it went down about 9:30 am. The crash occurred in the desert near Highway 78 west of Split Mountain Road in Imperial County.

Officer Benavides had served with the California Highway Patrol for 13 years and was assigned to the Border Division Thermal Air Operations Unit.

Survivors

Officer Benavides is survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Pilot Officer Benavides gave the California Highway Patrol 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Pilot Officer Benavides.

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

Agency

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

Service Record

End of Watch May 7, 2010
Tour of Duty 13 yrs
Age 39
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Daniel is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 2010, 71 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 44th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Daniel was 39. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Daniel had served 13 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8.6% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Fridays: 15.1%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

California Highway Patrol has at least 120 officers remembered here, Daniel among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Pilot Officer Daniel Nava Benavides

California Highway Patrol · End of Watch May 7, 2010

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 6-E

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