Off-Duty Deputy Dies in Long Beach Motorcycle Crash

Maciel, a 40-year-old off-duty deputy and Army Reservist, was riding south on Pacific Coast Highway when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle traveling east on East 2nd Street, police said. The crash occurred at about 11 p.m. Police officers and Long Beach firefighters attempted to provide medical aid, but he was declared dead at the scene.

The other driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Police said speed may have contributed to the collision but did not identify which driver might have been speeding.

Maciel joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 2016 and became a motorcycle deputy at its Norwalk station in 2019. He had also worked at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility and in patrol for the Transit Services Bureau.

Supervisor Janice Hahn said Maciel had helped prevent a possible school attack in South Whittier in 2018, days after the Parkland school shooting. She said his work and service had helped protect communities, and that he would be missed by residents and colleagues.

The crash was Long Beach’s 41st fatal traffic collision of the year. The city had recorded 43 by the same point the previous year, when it ultimately had 53 fatal crashes. Automated speed cameras installed recently are scheduled to begin issuing tickets in December.