Deputy Killed In Accident Honored With RivCo Funeral Procession

NORCO, CA — A Riverside County resident who served as a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy will be honored with a funeral procession through Norco Saturday following his death in an off-duty freeway crash.

Jeffrey Ryan McKee, 35, of Norco was killed while driving to work at the Inmate Reception Center in downtown Los Angeles around 5:30 a.m. March 28. In a freak accident, a tire flew off another vehicle and struck the roof and windshield of McKee's sedan as he drove northbound on I-5 at the Interstate 710 interchange, the California Highway Patrol reported.

McKee died at the scene.

Saturday's funeral procession will arrive in Norco at approximately 9 a.m. and will travel through the city westbound on Sixth Street from California Avenue. From Sixth Street, the procession will continue onto Norco Drive/Corydon Avenue to River Road and into the city of Eastvale for church services, according to the city of Norco.

The procession will consist of approximately 15 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department units and 20 private vehicles, the city said.

"The McKee Family invites members of the community who want to honor Deputy McKee to congregate along Sixth Street as the procession travels westbound. While the family appreciates the community’s support, this is a private family service, and the McKees have asked that members of the community NOT join in with the procession or attend the memorial services in Eastvale," the city said.

McKee was born in Chino, married his high school sweetheart, Randi, in 2009, and settled in the city to raise a family. The couple had two children together, a boy, Hunter Ryan, born in 2012, and a girl, Remilynn Nicole, born in 2015, according to his obituary.

In addition to his wife and children, McKee is survived by his parents Bob and Linda McKee.

A 15-year veteran of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, McKee cherished the Horsetown USA lifestyle in Norco, and was very proud of his chickens, goats and donkey, the city said.

"Deputy McKee committed his professional life to protecting his fellow citizens, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time," the city said.

A GoFundMe page set up for the family said that while work and community were important, "it was apparent to anyone who knew him, he was most proud of his work as a husband and as a father. Jeffrey was a dedicated husband and father who always prioritized family and faith above all else."

"We, his Sheriff Department family, are completely heartbroken to have lost such an amazing, caring, hardworking man. Jeffrey will be remembered as more than a partner, he’ll be remembered as an inspiration to us all," the page read.

As of Thursday afternoon, the page had raised $58,110.

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