A two vehicle crash took the life of San Bernardino Sheriff Deputy and former Hornet, Nicholas O’Loughlin over the weekend.
The crash occurred at 12:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 18, at the intersection of Edison and Euclid avenues in Chino.
The 28-year-old was off-duty driving his 2006 Chevrolet Silverado when it was impacted by a 2014 BMW SUV, instantly killing O’Loughlin at the scene, according to CBS news.
The San Bernardino Sheriff Department tweeted Tuesday afternoon,”It is with deep sadness that we report the sudden & tragic death of Deputy Nicholas O’Loughlin. Nicholas was killed in an off-duty traffic collision early this morning,” adding he is survived by his father Bill, mother Crystal and brother Jonathan.
The driver of that BMW SUV was 26-year-old Alhambra resident Yijie Mao. He is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at the time of the crash.
Mao has since then been arrested and faces charges of vehicle manslaughter.
Nicholas O’Loughlin was a former baseball player, playing for schools such as Fullerton College, Cal Poly Pomona, and Cal State Fullerton.
O’Loughlin played two seasons at FC as starting catcher, making an appearance 33 times behind the plate his freshman year with a batting average of .261. O’Loughlin was also en route to first-team All Orange Empire recognition, after he batted a team-leading .355 with 9 home runs and 36 RBIs as a sophomore in 2010.
It is reported by sheriffs that O’Loughlin joined the San Bernardino Sheriffs department in 2017.
Anyone who may have information about the crash is being asked to contact Chino Police Department Officer Bloch at 909-334-3018.
