Crime & Safety

Palm Desert Highway to be Renamed in Honor of Fallen CHP Officer

CHP Officer Michael A. Brandt died in 1987 while chasing a suspected drunk driver along Highway 74 near Palm Desert, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A portion of Highway 74 south of Palm Desert will be renamed in honor of a California Highway Patrol officer who lost his life there years ago, a CHP spokesman said this week.

On April 3, the CHP will host a dedication ceremony in honor of CHP Officer Michael A. Brandt, who died on April 6, 1987, when he lost control on a sharp curve of the roadway while chasing a suspected drunk driver, according to the California Highway Patrol.

According to the CHP, the fallen officer "...lost control on a sharp curve, skidded over a 15-foot embankment, overturned and landed upside down. Brandt was found strapped in the driver's seat but died just hours later from his injuries."

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The stretch of road near where Brandt was killed will be renamed the "CHP Officer Michael A. Brandt Memorial Highway," CHP Spokesman Officer Joe Zagorski said.

Brandt was 35-years-old when he died, and had been with the CHP for eight years.

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"The vehicle Brandt had pursued was located 150 feet down the side of the mountain, wrecked and in flames but the driver and two small children had been ejected and survived," according to the Calfornia Highway Patrol.  "The driver was subsequently charged with felony DUI, felony manslaughter and child endangerment."

The ceremony in Brandt's memory will be held at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center, 51-500 Highway 74, and will begin at 10 a.m.

Those planning to attend should make reservations by calling Zagorski at (760) 772-8938, or emailing him at jzagorski@chp.ca.gov.


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