Alejandro Martinez

Deputy Sheriff Alejandro Martinez succumbed to injuries sustained on November 16th, 2022, as he and other recruits from Academy Class 464 ran in formation as part of their morning physical fitness routine.

The academy class of 75 recruits was running in formation when an oncoming vehicle veered over the center line and struck the group near the intersection of Mills Avenue and Telegraph Road in Whittier. A total of 25 recruits were struck by the vehicle before it came to a stop. Twelve of the recruits suffered critical injuries that ended their careers.

Deputy Martinez was sworn in as a sheriff's deputy two weeks after the incident. He remained hospitalized in critical condition until succumbing to his injuries eight months later.

The driver who struck the group was charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and nine counts of reckless driving on a highway.

Deputy Martinez was a U.S. Army National Guard soldier and had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for only eight weeks at the time he was injured.