Driver Arrested In CHP Officer's Crash Death

SOLANO COUNTY, CA — The California Highway Patrol and the Solano County District Attorney's Office announced the arrest and charging Wednesday of the Chevrolet pickup truck driver who crashed into CHP Officer Kirk Griess' motorcycle and a Saturn SUV Friday on westbound Interstate Highway 80 in Fairfield.

Griess, 46, a 19-year CHP veteran, and the Saturn driver, Jaime Manuel, 49, of Vallejo, died in the crash, which occurred around 9 a.m. Friday on the right shoulder of Highway 80 near Manuel Campos Parkway after Griess had pulled over Manuel.

Sean Matthew Walker, 36, of Rocklin, has been arrested on suspicion of two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams told reporters at a 5:30 p.m. press conference.

"The evidence indicates he was on his phone shortly before the incident," Abrams said. "... He was grossly negligent while driving ... a deadly combination of speeding while he was on his phone caused these accidents and caused the deaths of two innocent individuals."

Abrams would not clarify whether authorities believe Walker may have been texting or whether he was talking on his phone. Both are against California state law.

Walker is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Fairfield.

According to CHP Solano Area Capt. Mark Headrick, Walker also faces a charge of reckless driving causing fatal injuries.

"We have evidence he was distracted by his phone at the time of this collision," Headrick said. "This is a preventable collision, something that could have been stopped, that took the lives of Officer Griess and Mr. Manuel...that is something we will not tolerate."

"Answering a phone or sending or answering a text," is not worth the lives it puts at risk, the captain said.

Headrick said CHP investigators have been working day and night on the case.

"This last week has been tragic, not only for the CHP family but for other families involved; our hearts go out to the Griess family and to the Manuel family," Headrick said.

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Patch Local Editor Maggie Avants and Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

Photo courtesy CHP - Golden Gate